Earl Middleton

I’ve been walking with the Lord for 30 years, and it occurs to me that one thing I’ve never seen is a miraculous healing or move of God at a Christian entertainment venue…like at a church where the pastor’s singing voice, pulpit style and tailored attire are just as important as ‘telling the story.’ Churches with James Brown preachers and Jerry Lee Lewis musicians. (A’ight, don’t hate or palpitate, just appreciate the weight of the truth I’m about to levitate!)

Christian entertainment speaks to the flesh & will chase the spirit of prophesy & the anointing for the miraculous immediately, because it establishes a ‘culture of dishonor’ for the spirit. That’s why miracles and entertainment don’t mix! The very point of entertainment precludes the environment for miracles: attention. Entertainment, by definition, is the capturing of the attention and the disconnection of Spirit-led thought. It’s all about amusement, the very absence of thought. That really makes the term ‘Christian entertainment’ an oxymoron, because anything that’s Christ-honoring focuses all the attention on Jesus.

Am I saying that all entertainment is bad or wrong? No! Absolutely not. In fact, one could argue that Jesus supplied and engaged in an atmosphere of entertainment at the Wedding of Cana. But once the bubbly is flowing and attention is turned to pleasure, the possibility for miracles is lost. Entertainment isn’t wrong. It just has no place in an environment where miracles are sought or expected.

Neither Jesus nor any of the miracle-working apostles ever did engage in ‘Christian’ entertainment while ministering. They never tried to get people’s attention for the miraculous by appealing to their flesh. The Holy Spirit was always honored above the flesh. There are no empirical or anecdotal confirmations of miracles in an entertainment environment. The music used, especially in a meeting that invites the Holy Spirit to enter and minister, must honor the Spirit, rather than appeal to the flesh, for the culture of miracles to be birthed.