Why Is “Up Nepa!” More Popular, Even Among Our Kids?

–  Couldn’t we have found a better alternative?

Yesterday evening, I was bored with the continuous shout of “Up Nepa” by kids in the neighbourhood at every time the IKEDC restored electricity, this happened at every 30 minutes interval as they kept interrupting power supply.

I think it is rather absurd. How come this is the only thing that could excite the kids? Such a short-lived and epileptic experience!? Not NEPA of all the things in the world – the worst of all service providers.

Besides, it did not just start with them; I lived the same experience at childhood – all of us did, and still couldn’t contain myself at times when power supply get restored as an adult.

And I wondered why I haven’t heard any of these kids scream the name of Jesus or any other celestial expression to unleash any good news they have. We didn’t do such either but were used to only the “Up NEPA” syndrome.

At this point, I had my 5-month-old son in my arms. I looked at him and said, “Boy, you shall not be of them that exclaim ‘Up Nepa’. You shall shout, ‘Praise the Lord’ or ‘Jesus is Lord’.

Within me, I was not just talking to the boy, I was commanding him. I think I have that authority as a father. I know so.

Many never give this a thought, just as they do not consider that Coca-Cola is more popular than the name of Jesus all over the world.

Aside from hearing the word Jesus occasionally when we take them to church, our kids hardly could relive the person of Jesus Christ in their lives like they do other things – Indomie noodle, Up Nepa, Coca-cola, and any other ephemeral issues and words.

Since the day I learnt that Coca-Cola is more popular than the name of Jesus, I suffer a pain of the neglect of preaching Jesus to the world that most Christians have embraced.

Yes! Most Christians have neglected the preaching of Jesus all over the country – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (NLT)

Many Christians might not be as shocked as I am at this. But consider what we often offer our guests when they visit – a word of prayer or salvation message in the name of Jesus? Not at all; we pull out a bottle of Coca-Cola.

The name of Jesus has become so remote to us that our kids don’t find it useful – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Prov. 22:6 (KJV).

And this will change when we begin to see the use of the name of Jesus as a better alternative to our use of so many words we relate to in our daily activities.

It sounds strange, isn’t it? How about we try exclaiming, for a change, the name of Jesus with faith at the instant electricity gets restored by the distribution companies henceforth. Let’s make up our minds to caution our kids to say no more ‘Up Nepa’ but ‘Jesus is Lord’. I bet you we would begin to see a change in the distribution of electricity for the better in this country.

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Act 2:21(NIV)

I am convinced that the only solution to the energy challenge is in the name of Jesus, and no other – for what haven’t we attempted.

“¹⁰Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ ¹² There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4: 10-12 (NLT)

This is not a religious talk, but it’s spiritual and its life – only faith in the name of Jesus is a better alternative.

Paul Mbagwu
JESUS IS LORD!
Acts 20:32