Power of God Cannot Be Contained in a Device—Christian Crusader Lament
Christian Crusader, Francis Ameyibor, has asserted that the POWER OF GOD cannot be contained in an electronic device and text without the POWER OF GOD, which is not a Bible, and laments that the church and largely many Christians are becoming ashamed of its greatest symbol, the Bible.
“Go to most churches in Accra, Lagos, London, or New York today, and count how many people enter with a Bible. Count how many Pastors preach with a Bible open before them. The numbers are shrinking.
“We have subtly accepted a dangerous doctrine: Modernity over Majesty. The defense is always: It's heavy. My Bible is huge. My phone has ten versions."
This defense collapses under its own weight. Since when did Christianity become about convenience? Was the cross convenient for Christ Jesus?
“A heavy Bible is not an inconvenience. It is a testimony. When a child sees you carrying your Bible to church on Sunday morning, you preach a sermon before you preach.
“When a new convert sees his Reverend Minister preaching from a glowing screen that dims every 30 seconds, what does he learn? He learns that the Word of God is just another app,” Crusader Ameyibor indicated.
Respectfully, all digital age Reverend Ministers must answer these questions: do you reverence your electronic devices? Do you reverence your Bible? Will you allow your church members to place their phones on the altar for dedication? Can a phone be used to lay hands on the sick as a point of contact for the Word?
“An electronic device can be useful as a concordance, as a reference. But it can NEVER and should NOT replace the Bible on the Pulpit or in the hands of Believers,” Mr. Ameyibor maintained.
He stresses that the Bible on the pulpit is a statement of authority: "Thus saith the Lord, here is the Book." The phone on the pulpit is a statement of convenience: "Let me check what the Lord says."
This generation needs to see Pastors who love THE BOOK and who PREACH FROM THE BOOK, who say, "OPEN YOUR BIBLES WITH ME TO..."
“That call and response—pages turning, fingers searching, eyes reading along—that is discipleship. That is how we teach the generation the Word. That is what Christian Fellowship is about. That is Church service; anything apart from this is either a group of people attending a conference or a gathering of an association's members,” he stated.
“If you read from your device, your members will scroll on their devices. And while you quote John 3:16, they are reading a message that just popped up. Reverend Ministers, lead the way. Return to carrying your Bible to church,” he pleaded.
"When you open your Bible, you are making a statement: this is not a blog, this is not Google, this is the Final Authority, the Authorized Version." The sight of an electronic device with a logo shining brighter than the cross on the pulpit diminishes the sacredness of the altar.
Minister of the Gospel, respectfully, encourage your congregation to read along from their Bibles. Let the church be the church again. Let the Word be honored again.
WHY THE HARD COPY STILL MATTERS
The call by the Christian Crusader to bring back “The Book” is not sentimental; it is theological, practical, and generational.
First, the hard copy Bible is a symbol of authority and reverence. A phone is for everything—chatting, watching comedy, business transactions, and TikTok. The Word of God cannot share space with notifications and still command the same honour.
"When a judge enters the court, people stand because of the honour of the law. When you carry your physical Bible, you carry the Constitution of Heaven. It sets you apart. It says, I am a person of the Book."
Second, the hard copy Bible is a weapon of war. Ephesians 6:17 calls the Word of God the sword of the Spirit. A soldier does not go to war with a picture of a sword on his phone. He carries the actual sword. In temptation, Jesus Christ did not say, "I have a scripture somewhere on my tablet." He declared, "It is written." Matthew 4:4. There is spiritual power in opening the actual Book - The Bible highlighting it, underlining it, and weeping over its pages.
Third, the hard copy Bible is a legacy. Technology fails. Phones spoil. Apps are deleted. Tablets crack and become obsolete. But the hard copy Bible endures, in line with Psalm 119:89: "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven."
Your children will never inherit your Bible app. But they can inherit your marked, tear-stained, highlighted hard copy Bible. That Bible with your notes from 10 years of encounters is a legacy. What will you leave behind? A password or The Book? We must train our children to associate and develop an intimacy with the hard copy Bible.
Fourth, the Hard Copy Bible Guarantees Focus and Consecration. The smartphone is an ecosystem of distraction. How many times have you opened your phone to read the Bible and you ended up on WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram? The devil is smart. He knows if he cannot stop you from reading, he will distract you while reading. Your phone has notifications. The Holy Book does not. Your phone has pop-ups. The Holy Book has presence. One brings distraction; the other brings consecration.