THE “AUTOPILOT” CHRISTIAN/BELIEVER

When the word “autopilot” is mentioned, the first thought is the device in an aircraft that takes control of the aircraft when the pilot stops controlling the aircraft manually. So, an “autopilot” Christian/Believer is one who feels or thinks that his/her Christian walk or life has nothing to do with him/her, but a special "something" within.

This kind of Christian/Believer takes no responsibility for his/her Christian life. All he/she believes is the famous statement: “IF GOD HAS SAID I WILL BE ‘A’, I WILL DEFINITELY BE AN ‘A’ NO MATTER WHAT I DO.” For this kind of Christian/Believer, all he/she does is to continue living life as he/she pleases with the hope that he/she will eventually enter into the promise of God. This kind of Christian/Believer is a great fan of Carrie Underwood’s ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’. I can promise you that he/she enjoys the chorus more than the verses. If you have not heard the song I am talking about, please follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU.

Anyway, the above believer was me before I decided to go to Bible School in October 2017. And before Bible School, I had already been a Christian for thirteen (13) years. Yes! I mean thirteen (13) good years, not three (3) years. If my years as a Christian could be translated to years in school in Ghana, I should have been preparing for my Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E) in Junior High School. Indirectly, I should have been knowledgeable about the basics of mathematics, English, integrated science, social studies, etc.

If I had translated that understanding to my spiritual life then, I should have had knowledge of the “principles of the doctrine of Christ” as the writer of Hebrews puts it, even before going to Bible School. Yet, for thirteen (13) good years, all I did was to put my Christian life on AUTOPILOT.
Do not misunderstand me. Though I was on "AUTOPILOT", I was always at church for any and every service. I evangelized more than I'm doing today. I worked at church more than I'm doing today. I could repeat the messages of my pastor like a CD on replay. The only problem was that: I DID NOT KNOW GOD FOR MYSELF. The God I kept telling others about was the God my pastor knew and preached about.

Hebrews 6:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

According to the writer of Hebrews, Repentance, Faith, Baptisms, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment are the basic lessons every believer must understand in his/her baby stage. These are the ingredients he/she finds in the milk he/she must suck when he/she becomes a Christian. If he/she does not know them, he/she is a baby no matter the position he/she holds in Church. The Apostles followed Jesus Christ for three (3) years learning all these secrets. Yet, for 13 years I had nothing to show.

1 Peter 2:2 King James Version (KJV)
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

I had heard 1st Peter chapter two verse two several times when I gave my life to Christ at Winners Chapel. This is a Word-based church. But, because my Christian life was on “AUTOPILOT”, I didn’t see the need to study the Bible. Why? I thought the "thing" within me was responsible for my spiritual growth without my effort. I did not feel the need to be RESPONSIBLE for my spiritual growth. And I could misquote several scriptures to back this lazy Christian life. The famous one being: “IT IS NOT BY MY STRENGTH BUT BY HIS SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD.”

If this describes you, I have some scriptures for you to study. Please do not read-only, I want you to study them. They are different scriptures from different writers. Find the Greek meanings, note the similarities, and let me know what you will find.


Luke 13:24 King James Version (KJV)
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Philippians 2:12 King James Version (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

1 Timothy 6:12 King James Version (KJV)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 King James Version (KJV)
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Jude 3 King James Version (KJV)
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

QUESTIONS:
1. Do you believe in the concept of “AUTOPILOT" CHRISTIAN/BELIEVER?
2. Do you believe a CHRISTIAN/BELIEVER should do nothing after accepting Jesus Christ?
3. Do you believe a CHRISTIAN/BELIEVER should live as he/she pleases after accepting Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Personal Saviour?

We would love to read and share your thoughts and opinions. Please try to back your opinions with scriptures to help a brother/sister in the faith add to knowledge. Send us an email trotrodevotion@gmail.com or send us a WhatsApp message or voice note to (+233)(0)557-445-225.

Remain a blessing as you remain in Christ.

(...to be continued)

BIBLE SCHOOLS ARE NOT “EVIL”!

2 TIMOTHY 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

If you have decided to read this, you are either a product of a bible school or you are contemplating on attending one. Or, you may have heard one or more people speak against Bible Schools that you are regretting you attended one. Or, you are no longer interested in attending one as you planned to. If you find yourself in any of the above categories, I truly understand you. Before going to the Bible School, I also had to fight the many “School of Thoughts” about Bible School. After Bible School, the only thing I regret most is not going to Bible School earlier. I will never regret any second of the 18months (approximately five hundred and forty-eight days) spent at the Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Centre.

For those who are a product of the numerous Bible Schools around the world and maybe regretting taking such a step, you should never have been there in the first place. Your situation can be compared to a young man or woman who attended medical school only because his/her father’s heart desire was for him/her to be a medical doctor and not an actor as he/she desires. You are only regretting you attended Bible School because you did not go there with divine inspiration or agenda; you either went because your Pastor asked you to or it was the only option you had to get a reputable certificate after failing High School or some other reason you only are aware of. 

Who told you that Bible School is useless? Who told you that Bible Schools cannot make you anybody – both physically and spiritually? Who told you that you have wasted your years in Bible school? Who told you? If it was a preacher, make sure he/she doesn’t have a Bible School before you take his/her word for it. All the preachers who one way or the other talk “against” attending Bible School or Bible Schools, in general, have Bible Schools. A few are products of Bible Schools, and the most who claim not to be “products of Bible Schools” are one way or the other spiritually connected to a product of a Bible School as Spiritual Sons/Daughters or mentees. In short, one way or the other, every preacher is directly or indirectly a product of a Bible School.

If you doubt, I dare you to take one preacher you have heard speak “against” Bible School and try to find his/her spiritual father or mentor. You will surely trace him/her to a Bible School product he/she is tirelessly trying to imitate. In Ghana, almost every preacher wants to have the Spiritual Father of the land, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, as a Spiritual Father/Mentor. Archbishop Nick is a product of Archbishop Benson Idahosa’s Bible School. Archbishop Benson Idahosa is also a product of Gordon Lindsay’s Bible School. I am mentioning these two big names because every man or woman of God in Ghana, Nigeria and around the globe one way or the other looks up to them. What we keep forgetting is this: Whoever they were or are - spiritually - can minutely/largely be traced to one or more secrets learned from Bible School.

THE MAJOR QUESTION: If all preachers are a product of a Bible School - directly or indirectly, why then do they speak “against” Bible School? 

Before I touch on that, let me ask you some questions. Like me, do you still think that you could have been taught certain things in high school or tertiary school yet your tutors failed to because they were either using an obsolete curriculum or were just not fit to? Or, do you mostly think that the curriculum used in High Schools and Tertiary institutions are so outdated that they are in no way helping build students for the market they are being trained for? Or, do you mostly think of building a school better equipped than the last schools you attended? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you are thinking like the many preachers speaking “against” Bible School.

There is no man or woman of God against Bible School. This is true because those we claim to speak “against” Bible School either have Bible Schools in their ministries or are thinking of starting one any time soon. Like you, many preachers think, feel and most often know that most of the Bible Schools are producing machines instead of Spirit-filled/led preachers. Like you, many preachers are not satisfied with the way some products from Bible Schools are turning out. Like you, many preachers feel the need for a reformation and as such feel the need to attack the problem. Preachers speak “against” Bible School not because they are against them; they most often preach against some of the procedures being used to run the system, not the general idea. (…to be continued)

“To be against the idea of “Bible School” is to be against the teaching and learning of the Bible, the very WORD of God, the Word of Truth, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. FYI, our churches are a type of Bible School.” 

NB: Please, this is in no way a “shade” or “jab” against our spiritual heads or fathers, this is to encourage the young man/woman who has a strong desire to attend Bible School but is contemplating because of the somewhat “bad” image painted by most preachers during preaching. Feel free to follow the series as I share my journey in Bible School.