gOiNg aGaiNsT tHe tiDE!

Blind Bartimaeus teaches us how to sing a solo when the chorus is against you. Mark 10:47-48.

— Tera Carissa (@teracarissa) July 19, 2015

This tweet from Tera Carissa got me in deep thought about what it truly takes to be an achiever. In reality nobody ever achieved any great feat by doing exactly what every other person around them did. Over the years i have come to one solid conclusion that the common denominator in every winner's life is simply an 'EDGE'. My  childhood gaming days comes to mind as a good example of what it means to have an edge. Back when the video game 'Street Fighter' was a thing i only knew how to use two moves  and one player (Dhalsim) in all my games. He was the grown Avatar looking dude who could Extend punches and kicks beyond his reach, teleport and stay suspended in the air. All i knew to do was throw those long punches and teleport, and i became so good and fast at those two moves that was all i really needed to win.

The story referenced in the tweet above covers the story of a blind man in Jericho named Bartimaeus who during Jesus' visit against all odds and public opinion regained his sight. We only read about him today because he was bold enough to do something about his situation howbeit yelling like a mad man on the streets.

There are 3 things Bartimaeus had that made a difference to his situation which we can also learn from:

1. Information: He had heard of the exploits and knew of the power Jesus carried. He also heard that Jesus was in town, he also recognized the opportunity of a life time.

2. Faith/Conviction: Armed with this information, He was convinced that an encounter with this Jesus would solve his problems. In an era when Miracles and Christ was considered uncool he wasn't ashamed of his Faith and conviction.

3. Tenacity: Against all odds and pressure to be quiet while he called for Jesus to save him he persisted until Jesus heard him and called for him to come close after which he miraculously re-gained his sight.

These three (3) things can be generally summarized in one word: PASSION. what dreams, ideas or courses do you feel driven to achieve? what challenges do you have to contend with on a daily basis?

The story of blind Bartimaeus teaches us that in the choir of life, only people bold enough to sing solos get the chance get noticed..

In the history of humanity, every great man from Einstein to Walt Disney; from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg; has had to swim against the tide of popular opinion to attain greatness. whatever you find yourself doing sometimes the best path to that destination is the road less travelled.

-@gozzim

NiKKiLaOYE oN hOLyHoLLA Ep.#92- 19th JuLy 2015

This week we had the rare privilege to chat with the beautiful singer and dancer- NikkiLaoye. This very sweet and fun lady shared insights about her life, music, childhood, performing with artistes she idolized growing up(listen to find out which) and her Angel4life foundation. One of the things that really struck me was her out of the 'gospel genre' box approach to spreading the gospel.

There is absolutely no doubt that we live in perilous times where just as scriptures foretold, our creed is increasing becoming un-cool thanks in part to the passive approach to spreading the gospel by the christian community. Over decades we may have succeeded in alienating potential believers with our tactless and judgmental approach to spreading the gospel. Even the bibles states that he that winneth souls is wise meaning that a great part of spreading the gospel requires tact. I hope you download and enjoy this engaging interview. Also please leave a comment below after listening.

RAPID FIRE
////////////////////

FULL INTERVIEW
////////////////////

feel free to follow me on twitter @gozzim for more behind the scenes update on my projects and media activities.

- @gozzim

pOrn?

Addiction to pornography is a very easy and convenient sin. But what does it really do to us.. Listen to what rapper Trip Lee has to say about it.

Hope and Help for the Porn Addict from Desiring God on Vimeo.

source: rapzilla

ObiCHi oN hoLyHoLLa- Ep. #91

Earlier Arthur and I interviewed this very interesting lady Obichi (pictured above), a budding but very talented artiste. We also in the course of the show had a chat with another maestro IBKSpaceshipboi about his new single #LoversDance available on itunes here. You can download the podcast if you missed the live show on RhythmFM93.7.

kindly leave your comments in the box below.

bEttER ovEr bittER!

How Difficulty Can Make You Better, Not Bitter

Life is not fair. You will have problems, difficulties, and hurts that will make you better or bitter. You will either grow up or give up. You’ll either become who God wants you to be or your heart will become hard. You have to decide how you are going to respond to the tough times in your life. How will you handle it?

When you go through those difficult times, what happens to you is not nearly as important as what happens in you. That’s what you take into eternity — not the circumstances but your character.

In Acts 27, we learn three ways you shouldn’t respond:

1. Don’t drift. “The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along” (Acts 27:15 NIV). The ship carrying Paul and other prisoners to Rome was in the middle of the Mediterranean and hadn’t seen the sun for 14 days, so they couldn’t get any bearings, and they started to drift.

When they face difficulty, some people start drifting through life. They have no goal, purpose, ambition, or dream for their life. Today, we call this “coasting.” The problem with coasting is that you’re headed downhill. Life is not a coast. Life’s tough. Don’t lose your ambition or your dream just because life gets hard.

2. Don’t discard. “We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard” (Acts 27:18). The men in charge needed to lighten the ship, so they threw the cargo overboard, then the tackle and the food. They were discarding things they needed because the storm was so tough.

When you get in a storm and the stress gets unbearable, you tend to start abandoning values and relationships you would not let go of in better times. You say, “I’m giving up on my marriage. I’m giving up on my dream to go to college.”

God says, “Stay with the ship!” Have you done that in your marriage? Have you said, “Divorce is not an option for us. We’re going to make it work.” If you haven’t, you’ll always be tempted to walk out. If you don’t throw away the key, you’ll never develop the character God wants you to have. God can change situations and personalities. He can change you. But he won’t if you’re always abandoning ship! I’ve learned from personal experience that it is never God’s will to run from a difficult situation. God wants you to learn, grow, and develop. Stick with it.

3. Don’t despair. “We finally gave up all hope of being saved” (Acts 27:20). After 14 days in total darkness and after giving up their cargo, tackle, and food, the passengers finally give up hope. But they’d forgotten one thing: Even in a storm, God is in control. He hasn’t left you. You may not feel him, but if you feel far from God, guess who moved?

God is with you in the storm, and he’ll help you through it.

Source: God's dream for your life, Rick Warren.

#elev8day- UPDATED!

Join me for #elev8day on Twitter tomorrow at 5pm as I discuss Gospel Music in Nigeria. Please follow @elevationng & @gozzim to participate.

tiNy You, biG GoD!

Some places will make you realize how tiny you are in the grand scheme of things, yet God made them and us all. Whatever challenges you are facing this week or in your life, remember that in the grand scheme of things God is eternally bigger than your challenges and He will see you through if you let him.

-@gozzim

AyO viNCent oN HolyHolla- 5th July, 2015 Episode 90

5th July, 2015 Episode 90
//////////////////////////////

This week we had an interesting interview with the delectable Ayo Vincent. On a radio tour of her new single- 'HALLELUYAH' featuring Onos, she had so much to say about her music, being a mother and dealing with upholding values amidst societal pressures to be politically correct. Our interview with @ayovincentmusic on ‪#‎holyholla‬ is now availailable for download here- http://hu.lk/6x0fumtmh6v4 ‪#‎podcast‬

//////////////////////////////
‪#‎HolyHollaTop5‬
#5: Two Words- @Spiceonthemic f. @protekniks x @provabs x @samjam [1st Week]
#4: Wonder- @ED1Music [2nd Week]
#3: Amazing God- @marshallprinces [3rd Week]
#2: None+U=Me- @nikkilaoye [4th Week]
#1: Yahweh- @joimor [4th Week]
//////////////////////////////

- @gozzim

tOLeRaNcE

Finally, Daniel’s wisdom also made him a man of great forbearance. He was amazingly tolerant in the biblical sense of the word.

Rightly understood, tolerance is a trait we should all excel in. If tolerance means granting people the right to be wrong, we of all people ought to be known for our tolerance.

Unfortunately, that’s not what tolerance means today. The word has been redefined. It no longer means granting others the right to be wrong. It now means that nobody is wrong. Those who dare to claim that some behaviors are actually morally wrong are written off as intolerant bigots.

While many of us bemoan the intolerance directed toward Bible-believing Christians today, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We’re getting what we gave.

Back when Christianity was the dominant cultural religion, we often used our power to shut down those who advocated opposing agendas. We’d raise a fuss and force a college to disinvite a commencement speaker who advocated a godless agenda. We’d pressure sponsors to stop advertising on television shows we didn’t like. We’d boycott non-Christian companies for making non-Christian decisions.

Now we’re on the receiving end. As I write this, a TV show has recently been canceled because of the evangelical leanings of the host. A pastor has been disinvited from praying at the presidential inauguration because he had the audacity to teach what the Bible says about sexuality. And a national chain is under fire because the owners have donated to ballot measures considered antigay.

I often wonder what would have happened if we’d had the wisdom of Daniel when we were in control. What if we’d been tolerant in the biblical sense of the word? What if, rather than trying to silence those we strongly disagreed with, we’d let them have their say, secure in the knowledge that truth has nothing to fear?

My bet is we’d still be out of favor. But we’d have a far more level playing field from which to speak to the sins and issues of our day.

It’s a mistake Daniel never made. He let pagans live like pagans, while living his own godly life in full view. Which is why when the time came for him to step forward and speak up, he’d already earned the right to be heard.

*Are you tolerant in the Biblical sense of the word?

Source: Thriving in Babylon by Larry Osbourne

Only tHe CrAzieS wiN..

..5,4,3,2,1 annnnnnnnnd blast off!!! 

The voice of the Mission Control Commander went off on the comms system at SpaceX Headquarters on a re-supply mission to the International Space Station; a contract seeded to SpaceX by NASA. To think that it all started with a relatively insignificant game called 'Blastar' designed by Elon Musk at age 12 which was purchased by a computer magazine for exactly $500.

The name Elon Musk would ring a bell especially for his input in the creation of great brands like TESLA, SpaceX, Paypal, SolarCity and more.. Originally from South Africa, This real life  'Tony Stark/Iron Man' is one of the very few individuals in addition to others like Richard Branson, Aliko Dangote and more who don't mind being called CRAZY. If i asked you to make a mental note of 5 global companies behind 5 successful earth shattering feats, businesses like Apple, twitter and co. will come to mind. But one common denominator with such great ventures is the Courage and Passion of the brains behind them.

Daring to even dream about the impossible and then convincing a world of pessimists is no small feat, especially in a world where there is an unwritten script about how life ought to be lived i.e Go to school, get a job, get Married etc.. Surely if we are all headed in the same scripted direction how is it even possible for one to stand out or even make a global impact?

In my opinion, there is a reason the best technological and global advancements have come from the craziest humans to walk the earth like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Einstein, and more, It is that innate ability and drive to constantly go against the tide of conformity. Just because the world accepts something doesn't make it the only way or even the correct way at that. There is always room for improvement and only people who can find the courage to chase down and surpass their dreams will make a global impact. You are the best Original of yourself, don't rob the world of that gift deposited you by God.

-@gozzim

DaVid NkEnnOR iNterView oN #hoLyHolla

Last Sunday, we interviewed a very driven artiste. Who would have thought that his dream to become a Naval Officer in the Nigerian Navy would eventually give away for a life of global impact?

From Lagos to Cyprus and then to the rest of Europe, David Nkennor is indeed fulfilling destiny. IN our interview with him, He talks about his Naval Dreams, recording his first two albums, and where he is headed. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave your comments below and follow me on twitter for more of such inspiring stories.

- @gozzim

#doiT: bE tHe aRchitEct oF yOur oWn OppORtuNitieS.

A few days ago I read a piece on Anderson Cooper's rise to fame, and I found the revelations in there particularly inspiring. In it he talked about how not having a 'Plan B' was his secret to media success. When nobody would give him a chance at being a correspondent, he borrowed a home camcorder from a friend and with the little he had he embarked on trips to cover troubled developing countries like Somalia only to sell his stories to media outfits in the U.S. He would later get hired as an Intl. correspondent by 'Channel One' as a result of his efforts (Lesson: Sometimes getting people to trust you requires you changing their perception of you. Doing that requires drastic efforts on your part). This all or nothing approach to life especially when caught between a rock and hard place may be counter intuitive for some but in my opinion the most ingenious and creative solutions to challenges have been produced by men who have been backed into a corner without a backup plan.

The world is saturated with people who often let their degrees, environment or circumstances dictate who they become. In an increasingly difficult world where even having a PHD doesn't guarantee a job, only a few wake up to the realization that you are a sum of the choices you make and that we as individuals have to create our own opportunities in life. There will always be more than one way into a market. 

what is it you want so bad that the so called professionals of your industry won't let you in on? or what is that thing you dream about so much that the nay sayers have given you absolutely no chance of attaining? I say we (Yeah I said we, 'cos just like you I'm trying to get up that ladder)use their pessimism as fuel to attain the unattainable. People can only make you feel bad about yourself, your ideas or convictions if you let them. 

So share less with perssimists and be the architect of your opportunities. Because humans are mostly perception driven most will only believe when you have attained that goal/dream.

-@gozzim

#PODCAST: MaiRo oN hOLyHoLLa - 17th May, 2015

This week, we interviewed singer and Nigerian Soup connoisseur 'Mairo' on Holyholla. He had quite an interesting take on gospel music, his Pot-a-soup online soup business and more. I hope you enjoy this interview. Please leave your comments in the box below.

- @gozzim

#Podcast - Episode #83 with REDD

Earlier on Holyholla (Rhythm93.7fm), Arthur and I interviewed Stephanie 'REDD' Kadiri, a talented vocalist, wife and mother in celebration of #MothersDay. She had a lot to say about parenting skills especially in this age of the political correctness of taboos; her music and what the future holds for her. I recommend this interesting interview and I hope you download and listen below. 

Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below.

- @gozzim

wOLe ONi on HOLyHOLLa- 26th April, 2015

For the second time and following the release of his Single, we had the Nigerian maestro Wole Oni on our show HolyHolla on RhythmFM and he had a lot to say about his new single which has musical inputs from over 150 people. In this podcast he also discusses his appointment as a UN Peace Ambassador and Politics in Nigeria. Please leave your comments after listening to this podcast.

-@gozzim

kiLLiNG boKo HaRam (ViDeo pERspectiVe on tHe BH War)

- Video Report as reported by an Embedded Intl. Journalist

For quite some time, I have been a fan of the VICE NEWS style of reporting, this backpack journalism style of covering stories around the world is a breath of fresh air in a world dominated by Big media corporations with vested interests and Big Gov't talons in them.

I came across a 3-part series of videos from Vice News as reported by Kaj Larsen of Vice. 

Kaj embedded with troops who would later recapture certain Northern Nigerian towns earlier seized by Boko Haram. This video puts the Nigerian War on terror in real perspective.

Finally after watching all 3 parts certain statements stood out for me from Kajs' interviews with citizens and Military personnel and i have shared them in six quotes below:

1. "If you are a Muslim you are a target, If you are Christian you are also a target" - (Soldier on what Boko Haram truly is).
2. "Wherever there is a crowd thats their target"- (Father of a Northern Youth Killed in a Bomb blast by Boko Haram)
3. "I slaughter Boko Haram with this knife,.. when  I get them I slaughter them" - Nigerian Soldier
4. "Our job here is to kill Boko Haram, Kill Boko Haram thats the only thing i know"
5. "I am feeling very f&*king alone in the lead Gunship"- Kaj Larsen while on an embed flight on a Boko Haram bombing raid with the Nigerian Airforce.
6. "Despite the success of his soldiers, Nigerian President, Goodluck's luck ran out" - Kaj Larsen, while reviewing the success of the Military campaign against Boko Haram.

Please watch the videos below and say a prayer for our troops.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Are you feeling Patriotic already? Let me know your thoughts in the comment boxes below.

- @gozzim

Sources: ViceNews, Reuters