How About Michael Jackson?
By jingbautista
@jingbautista (2456)
Philippines
June 11, 2010 8:24am CST
Did You Hear that Michael Jackson Died?
The 24/7 media coverage of the death of Michael Jackson really began to weigh on me. I must confess that I too watched some of it in morbid curiosity, intrigued by someone who would take 10 Xanax (anti-anxiety tranquilizers) every night, among other things, and had his own in-house anesthesiologist. I even had a LIFELINE written to unload my burden about our American idolatrous culture of celebrity. Then I let the Holy Spirit speak to me. :-)
"What did you expect?" the Lord said to me. This same media, which was bringing us the wall-to-wall coverage, does not exist to speak into the lives of Christians, or to promote the agenda of the Kingdom of God. The majority do not know God, are hostile to anything He stands for, and would just as soon there be no Christians to stand in their way. When the media showed millions around the world mourning the death, and even worshipping one of their idols, it was because "That's what they do". What did you expect?
On the other hand, consider this...Every Sunday around the world,
2 billion Christians worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Some gather with hands lifted and voices raised, as they worship the Lord of Lords. Others are in prison for the sake of the Gospel. The media doesn't show this. If they did, the world would hate it just like you became sickened with the coverage of a worldly idol. "It's not what they do."
There are some things we need to learn from all of this.
1) Perhaps the sinful part of the entertainment industry wouldn't survive if Christians would quit entertaining themselves with it and supporting it with their money.
2) Identifying with a celebrity and conforming to them is a substitution for what we are supposed to do with Christ Jesus. He died for us that we might live in this world with His resurrection life. No celebrity cares that you are their biggest fan.
Now back to Michael Jackson and the others...
Don't be surprised when the world acts like the world. Neither let it discourage you. Most of what happens in the Kingdom of God is hidden anyway, waiting to be revealed when He appears! Press on!
John 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has
hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world,
the world would love its own; but because you are not of
the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this
the world hates you.
1 response
@RobtheRock (2433)
• United States
17 Jun 10
Only God knows if Michael is in the book of life. There are many things he did that could make one doubt. But we also saw his heart. He'd do "anything" to help those who needed help. He didn't do those deeds to get in Heaven. He did them because that's what he was, it was in his heart. Many of those people who call themselves Christians have some of the coldest hearts you can imagine. And there are Christians (Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.) who have some of the most beautiful hearts in the world. Only God knows.