Christian film is the popular act similar to Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood. Can I call it ‘Chrisllywood’? Christian drama or play is very famous in the church, crusade and every other Christian gathering.
Faith-based movie is a modern act of ‘entertainment’ and ‘ministration’ using advanced cameras and other modern electronic gadgets.
Today’s message is to check and balance the act of Christian film. Is it godly? How good is faith-based movie? Is it a popular bad action? Let’s have a look at Christian film with the spiritual eyes.
The History of Christian Film
In 1680, Athanasius Kircher, a catholic priest popularized the magic lantern, a simple slide projector. Magic lanterns used a candle or lamp as a light source and the images were projected on the wall.
In the 1800s missionaries such as David Livingston used the lanterns to present the Gospel in Africa. The emergence of movie theatres in the 19th century lost the popularity of magic lanterns.
Through the years, however, many Christians began to utilize motion picture for their own purposes. Herbert Booth, as part of the Salvation Army, claimed to be the first user of film for the cause of Christianity, in 1899.
Throughout the late 19th and into the 20th century, there was much dispute among Christians about “Christian film”. Many thought motion pictures were creating graven images, and shunned having anything to do with the film industry.
By the 1940s a renaissance of Christian film-making occurred and surprisingly, the Protestant Church encouraged film from the early 20th century.
This history has no link to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit or the early disciples. So, the popular act of watching and acting Christian film should be a serious concern to a true child of God.
The Act of Christian Film
The features of playact include some of the points below:
1. Pretends to be a different person (impersonation).
2. All actions in the film are not true intention
3. Names of the casts are not original
4. Presence of many tricky displays to viewers
5. The story is untrue or exaggerated
6. The act of Christian film does not respect the conscience of actors and viewers.
Does faith-based movie Portray Righteousness?
Jesus says: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)
Let’s look at this topic critically. If Christian drama is part of our worship outline to the Lord in the church, then was it an instruction from the Holy Spirit? Is Christian film done in Truth? Unfortunately, there is no word of God in the Bible that instructs us to engage in drama as a way of ministering the message of God.
Also, it is evident that Christian film is not done in truth, because all the characters in the film do not act their true identity. This message may not go down well in your heart if you are among majority of the Christians who do not watch Hollywood but Christian films.
Seriously, this is not my word and this is not my opinion but the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
My Experience Related to Christian Film
I started participation in Christian drama from the age of 13 and it was continuous for about two decades. I was a drama coordinator in the church after the Lord anointed me to be His messenger.
After ten years of my new life, I did not give-up Christian film as a tool for evangelism. My experience as a play writer and an artist is that I always suffer uneasiness in the deepest part of my heart, but I always console myself that God cannot throw me into hell since the lies are meant to capture souls for His kingdom.
I knew the story I wrote was not true. I knew the role I played in the drama was false. When the voice of the Lord spoke to my heart about the ‘Ministry of Lies’ which I called the ‘Drama Ministry’, I shunned the voice and said: “We are doing this drama ministry to win souls for Christ.”
But, one evening I was watching a Christian movie and the Spirit of the Lord interpreted each scene and act of the film to me… the woman called the man: “My husband …” The Spirit of the Lord asked me if the man was truly her husband, and I said ‘No’. The Holy Spirit said: “it is written in her ‘book’ that she called the man her husband and the statement is tagged ‘lie’ in her ‘book’.
In another scene, there was a mad boy, the Holy Spirit asked: “Was he mad?” I responded ‘No’. But the Spirit of the Lord said: “Yes, he is mad, because that was the present action… God does not joke!!”
I was not myself after watching the faith-based movie.
The Teachings of the Holy Spirit as regards Christian Films/drama
1. Everything you do or say is written and you shall be accountable to every idle word you speak.
Jesus says: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment.”
2. God does not play jokes and does not act films; you are responsible for every action you take in the drama.
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1 to 7: “…neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting…Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
3. Films or drama is an act of pretense which hits the film makers and film viewers with the spirit of deceit.
4. You cannot achieve a divine evangelical result like Jesus and His disciples if you use the medium of deceit to minister a righteous message. This is one of the reasons for many hypocrites in the church today.
5. The psyche of the viewers is always cheated through the lies that seem to be a true incidence.
It is a pity that many faith-based movies give birth to faithless and “half-baked” Christians. Uh! The church is under siege of worldly custom.
The Instrument of Christian Films
Don’t be deceived by anyone, Christian film has no root in the LORD. The LORD did not use drama to minister His messages to the Israelite.
Neither Jesus nor Holy Spirit uses the instrument of Christian films to win souls from the world. I have studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and I cannot find a single verse to support this popular practice.
Yes! It is famous but dangerous!!
Paul stressed the point of ministering the word of God with righteous tools. “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”(2 Corinthians 4:1-2)
Morality and godly living are rarely a consideration in acting film and drama. The Casts are asked to use foul language and to portray murderers, thieves, liars, and the like. They might also be instructed to play out adulterous or licentious situations. How can the cast reconcile this falsehood act with living a godly life?
The Influence of Christian Film in the Church
Christian film is a spiritual trap in the church covered with words such as; holy entertainment, drama ministry, visual ministration, gospel comedy etc. Some pastors told us that acting film or drama is a talent from the Lord. Such teaching is not true because there is no record in the Bible that substantiates the use of drama.
The religious movie is full of hypocrisy. It is not real, not true and is acted on pretense. How can this be a right way to preach the gospel or edify the saints?
It is too dangerous for a child of God to engage in any famous activity of the world which is not supported by the word of God.
Some of my colleagues who find it difficult to swallow these bitter pills argued that David and the prophets in the Bible acted drama, but their points were out of context.
For instance, David decided in his heart to act like a mad man to save his life from the king whom he deceived (1 Samuel 21:10-15).
If it was a film;
1. The story won’t mention his real name in the narration.
2. Everyone and the king would know that he was not truly mad.
God never asked David to act the deceitful display.
However, it is blaspheme to refer to all the strange experience of the prophets as drama. There was no prophet that performed drama. All they did was true in accordance to the instructions of the LORD.
If the prophets acted drama in the Bible then prophet Jeremiah would not love to be cursed. “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.” (Jeremiah 4:10)
Christian film is not an instrument of evangelism. Jesus who spoke more than forty parables would have been a good actor if drama or film is a godly instrument.
To Act Drama or Film is an Unhealthy Risk to Take
I remembered praying for all my casts that would act the negative or evil roles in the play. But the shocking revelation is that some of the evil roles played by some casts come to pass in their lives. Thus, God respects words and choice of action so much.
If Christian film is a powerful instrument for evangelism, Jesus would have told the disciple during His ascension to heaven. The Gospel is from the Lord, so you should deliver the Message as instructed by the LORD and not by the lying acts you humanly thought could help God.
If God is present in the messages delivered through films, then all the film tricks and emotions in the famous film such as; ‘The Passion of the Christ’ should have won billions of hot Christians for the Lord. A lot of people watch the Christian films, and after wiping away their tears, the movie does not have the capability to change their hearts to repentance.
It is wise for all Christians to stick to the instructions of the LORD in everything we do. Don’t embrace civilization, modernization or any form of science and technology that could contradict the word of GOD.
Despite the popular acceptance of Christian film, it clearly contradicts the commandment of God that asked us not to pretend and not to lie. “…and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
It is wise to watch real life documentaries than to watch or take part in the popular falsehood of Christian films or drama.
Please, ruminate on this message and re-read this message for more understanding. Then pray to the Lord to open your heart to comprehend His decision on film makers and film viewers.
I pray the LORD deliver us from the end-time deceits in this generation.
