11: WHO TOLD YOU?
An Interrogation of Identity in a Copy-Paste Culture
Originally performed on the Penspeak tour in 2018.
If I had to categorize all the evergreen content I’ve written, this piece would be right up there.
It’s a call to reflect, to question, to see.
It’s a call to pause, to decide — or at least, to seek.
Walk with me.
Most of the things people know and say are things they’ve heard, read or seen somewhere…
“There’s no new thing under the sun,” said the preacher — not even air.
You may ask me: “So one cannot simply boast of having an absolutely new idea?”
To that I’ll say: It may be new to you, but it’s not exactly new to history, my dear.
Because you see, everything that we see is interconnected.
It goes all the way back to creation — some are adopted and others, perverted.
Let’s try and understand this without going too deep into philosophy.
But in the same vein, what I’m about to say is a tad complicated — kinda like a symphony.
The question I’d like to take a moment and ask is:
WHO TOLD YOU?
Where did you learn what you know?
Who gave you your point of view?
Of course you came out of your mother, grew up and learnt your name.
So it’s possible that as you grew, you received new programming — kinda like a video game.
You saw and believed, you heard and understood.
You tried to follow patterns as much as you could.
And that’s not all bad — no, that’s not what I’m saying.
But in all this conformity, it’s easy to lose track. It’s quite easy to change.
To change from the original design of the creator.
To forget our own manual and automatically lose control.
It’s easy to forget that we were made in God’s image and likeness.
Easy to neglect the light of God’s word and cling to the darkness.
We live in a world where people regard the creator’s work as dung.
But on the mechanism of flying, no one seems to think that the Wright brothers were wrong.
People believe that the iPhones, iPads, and the rest — with their complexities — must have been invented.
But battle with the idea that the universe, as amazing as it is, was created.
We all use devices, and no matter how real or fake, they always have an operating system in order to work.
Much like how Elohim made man from dust, breathed into him — and the “device” began to talk.
The Bible says that in the beginning the Word was there, and ALL things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made that was.
So as much as humanity tries, the battle can only be won by the Word — and not the Force, like Star Wars.
It’s only logical. You don’t take an object made of copper and repair it with wood.
There’s no gainsaying then that the Word of God is really what we need to make us good.
You don’t need philosophers, or behaviourists to tell you who you are or how to live.
Somewhere in 1 Corinthians 4:6 it says:
“…that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written…”
Just like we consult the manufacturers of a certain car on matters concerning that car — let’s say Ford —
We should also find out about ourselves and how we function from one place:
The Word!
So once again, I’d like to ask you now:
Who told you???
Who told you you had phobias and temperaments?
Who told you your zodiac sign, your personalities and limitations?
What and what have you adopted from the world and made your meditations?
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God — and that includes us.
So even after man fell and crashed, those glitches were taken care of when Christ upgraded us at the cross.
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
This is scripture, people.
Christ died a man’s death so that I can live a god’s life.
This is scripture, people.
Christ died a man’s death so that I can live a god’s life.
He came that we might have life — and have it abundantly.
That is, the God-kind of life: Zoé.
This was demonstrated as He spilled something so expensive:
His blood — not Rosé.
Christ didn’t die so that we can be left with a spirit of fear.
He died to give us power, love, and a mind without wear and tear.
You might wonder how a “simple, harmless” phobia translates into fear as a spirit?
It does because when you accept a phobia, you open the door and give fear full access — without limits.
You don’t just let in the fear of heights or the fear of tight spaces.
In the real sense, you let in the spirit of fear — and it comes with its suitcases.
Let me put this simply:
Phobias are not harmless.
No — not even a bit.
They end up crippling your ability and make you emotionally unfit.
If you have accepted and nurtured the fear of water for instance…
That same instinct would make you accept the fear of failure, the fear of death, or even the fear of broken relationships.
Now a little into temperaments and personalities…
Of course, we weren’t all made the same way. We can’t all totally be alike.
I guess that explains what drove people to research —
And that’s probably why there’s a big fuss about “Why You Act the Way You Do”.
I guess that explains why people are so “melphlegsangleric” about their feelings.
Why they are consistently ‘factioned’ in all their dealings.
I guess that explains why you feel you have to react and act in a certain way…
Because there’s something the stars tell you to do each day.
But as the scriptures say:
We should Beware lest anyone spoils us through philosophy,
Following men’s traditions — and not heavenly customs.
What right does a user of a product have to change the name and purpose of a product?
How did we get to defining things here and there only to suit us?
The concept that we are tied to one character pattern or one phobia is devilish.
It is a worldly construct to get us to accept what we are not.
How can you tell a lion that it must roar — but not hunt?
How do you tell an eagle that it must fly — but never land?
According to the programming we received in the Creator’s lab,
That is what determines how we react and act in every situation.
We are beautifully and complexly made —
And any chance to box us is only geared towards limiting our abilities.
When the Bible says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us,
That includes those things that make you quick to say
“That is who I am” or “That’s just the way I am.”
For goodness’ sake…
WHO TOLD YOU???
“I’m this kind of person, I’m that kind of person…”
My friend, who told you?
I can’t read during the day.
I have fear of heights
I have a short temper.
I can’t speak well in public.
I’m not good with faces.
I’m terrible with numbers…
But excuse me, oh — who told you???
Oh, you can’t date fair guys, eh?
You don’t take rubbish from anyone, yeah?
You’re this type of person that… Enough already!
See, if you can’t show me where what you claim to be was written in your ‘manual’,
Then it’s just a claim.
If you can’t automatically defend your self-acclaimed temperament from the manual of the scriptures,
Then you might need to reconsider your ideas.
I’m only going to agree entirely with who you claim to be
If there was a certain paper attached to you at birth
Where you read all that concerns you.
If you don’t have that, then please take a moment and—
Reconsider all that you’ve come to know and believe that you are.
And concerning all those your ideas and beliefs that have seemed ever so true…
Please do me this favour and answer this:
WHO TOLD YOU???
I’m eager to hear your thoughts on this — feel free to leave a comment or respond via mail.
And whatever you do — don’t do it just because.
Don’t just follow the natural “course”… if of course, you haven’t answered the question:
WHO TOLD YOU?
Keep breathing.
Jisike.💪🏾