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Introduction
The death of Micheal Jackson has opened a cluster of confusion as the world tries to come to terms with all of the possessions the pop star has left behind. The world saw the making of an icon from rise, to fall, to death. As the world tries to come to terms with his death, they will have to draw a line between what is really genuine in the eyes of the Lord, and what is genuine in the eyes of those in the flesh. Has Micheal Jackson made it into heaven or hell? We will examine this question and the doctrine of hell and damnation in this article.
You Cannot Take It with You
Micheal Jackson had everything a man could want in worldly possessions. He owned everything from a chimp, to a ranch, and all the flunkies any one could deal with. Yet he never seemed to enjoy the things in life that money cannot buy. For example, a wife who loved him, kids from that marriage, and trustworthy friends. I would make the argument that it is probably a sign of no relationship with Christ, and no heavenly blessings from the Father. Mathew 16:26 NKJV states, “for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and looses his own soul.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, and no one can come to the Father unless he goes thought him. The prerequisites for salvation can be referenced in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” No if, and, or buts about it, I am not saying that Jackson went to heaven or hell, because no mans judgement lye’s in my hands, however I am saying that the word teaches us, that if any man has denied Christ in front of men, He will surely deny that man in front of the Father, and Christ is the mediator for all men. You come into this world with no possessions, and you will leave with none, but you can take your salvation with you.
Cant Buy Your Way Into Heaven
On a note for the admiration of the pop star, we have to give him credit for all of the humanitarian work he was often praised for. There are people who make the mistake of thinking you can buy your way into heaven, or even that you can earn it. This is contrary to what is taught in Ephesian 2:8-9 NKJV, ” For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Jackson was rich in money, and God is rich in mercy, take notice of who was, and who is. All of the money in the world will not stop your reservation, for the destination you have chosen. Hebrews 9:27 NKJV states, “ and it is appointed for men to die once, after this the judgement.” In an instance after his death, he was judged and sent to glory with the Father or to burning sulfur and torment. For those who need an example of instant judgement and fiery torment, let me refer you to Luke 16:19, the story of Lazarus and the rich man.
Rotten Fruit On The Tree
It is an obvious fact that Jackson had some fruits on his tree branches that were not fruits of the spirit. There was nothing ever mentioned about his relationship with his creator other than the affiliation he had with the Jehovah’s witness heresy his mother belongs to. The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree, and some times when it falls off it is rotten. There was no mentions of regular church attendance, tithes to the church, or service in a church, in all the media frenzy surrounding his death. These are normal manifestations of a believer on one level or another. The Bible teaches us in Mathew 7:16, “You will know them by their fruits.” If you bear the fruit of a Christian life, it will standout to others usually by the life you live, and the service you give to the body of Christ. I am not sure that a music video with demonic characters, or two allegations for inappropriate conduct with a child is hardly the fruit of the spirit. I understand these things happened far back, but there was never any public display of a life dedicated to Christ, or any reason to substantiate by the public lifestyle there was any repentance.
I Want To Be Like Mike
When I was growing up, I remember a time when everyone wanted to be like Jackson one way or another. I never saw any guys walking around with them glitter socks on, but what I did see was amazing. There was women walking around with buttons on their clothes, with all kind of pictures of MJ. There were guys who went out and spent 200 dollars, which was fortune back then for the red beat it jacket. I think those guys were pretty popular with the ladies. The list goes on with the fad as I remember after the awards when he did the Moon Walk, every kid I went to school with was trying to do that move the next day at school. He was idolized, and some times we become involved in idolatry and we don’t even recognize it. There was definitely a cult following of people who worshipped him. Anytime you have people fainting, crying, and standing in line for days for a man, and not for the creator, It is Idolatry. This is clearly prohibited in the Bible in countless scriptures, however I will just name the most popular for the sake of being brief. Exodus 20:19 states in two commandments,’You shall have no other gods before Me,’ followed by,’You shall not make for yourself a carved image.’ What I am attempting to point out is, what a work for the body of Christ it would have been if a man with as much stature as he had, would have planted some seeds for Christ, with his influence over his idolatrous fan base.
Conclusion
I want to state for the record that I am not condemning this man, but I believe this is an excellent evangelistic opportunity to have people examine themselves closely, and see if their lives line up with the word of God. I believe that most people will find themselves in between the choice of salvation, and a reservation with fire and brimstone. This is based on the fact that there is an estimated 550-650 million un-churched believers in the USA alone and many of them are MJ fans. From the death of Micheal Jackson, we can conclude that time is at the Fathers in heaven’s discretion, and it is not at a premium. We all have a date with the throne of judgement, but there are promises made to us if we are obedient to the faith. He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only begotten Son of God.
Very well written. Passing the word. Thankyou Liz
Look up his charity donations, imagine the lives he touched without music, so STFU stop Judging and respect his greatness.
Apparently, a family friend of his was the one who assaulted the children, and tried to take money off Michael by suing him. The press has, of course, made false sense of this – which was easy for them as some of Jackson’s earlier movies show him as friend with numerous boys and girls. I think that he is innocent, it’s just the media who picks on him – a grown man who tried to be a child’s friend. As for his decision to change his skin colour, that was also for a reason. He had skin cancer since childhood, and white spots began to appear on his dark skin, so he decided to bleach it.
Great article though, thumbs up!
People would like very much to think that their loved ones and the celebrities they admire will be in Heaven. Sadly, when one dies without having accepted Christ’s substituionary death to redeem our souls from the Prince of this world, there is no longer hope of salvation. All of our good deeds, whether we are celebrities loved by millions or the girl next door, will not earn our way into Heaven. “For by grace we are saved, through faith, not through works, lest any man should boast.”
We heard the same angry comments from those who refused to believe that Princess Diana would be refused entrance into Heaven. Yes, she did lots of good things, she was a wonderful humanitarian, but her life showed none of the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit, and although we are not to judge, we don’t see any evidence that she ever gave her life to Christ.
Okay, your analysis is correct to some point but you assume a lot of religiosity makes one a believer of Christ. You say “There was no mentions of regular church attendance, tithes to the church, or service in a church, in all the media frenzy surrounding his death”. These are normal manifestations of a believer on one level or another” Is that what makes a believer?
Remember what Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my fathers who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord , Lord did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles”? Then I will say to them, painly, “I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!” Mathew 7:21-23.
Christ was accused of a lot of things by the pharasee in His life time but was that true? The allegations of child molestation against Michael does not make it true, more so when he was tried by his own peers and acquited. The devil always attacks people at the place of their calling. Michael had a special bond with children and was himself stuck in childhood mode. He did a lot, even though unconventional, to alleviate their pain and lift their spirit. The world saw that as deviating from the norm and tried to destroy Him, but the truth set him free.
The way I see it Michael had a lot of fruit than many Christians who shout the loudest in the rooftops. In his epistle to the Galatians paul writes that the fruit of the spirt is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentelness and self control” Galatians 5: 22-23.
Have you ever had Michael speak? I heard him being interviewed and he said he was not going to stop loving children or doing good just because people said bad things about him. And for your information he confessed Christ as his guide in what he did. He said and I quote him “Jesus taught us to be like children- child like, not childish” . Why would he quote someone he did not believe in?
Going to church and paying tithe does not make you a Christian and it surely is not the mark of Christianity. Michael had pieces of the fruit of the Spirit but he was not perfect. I would like to know which believer can today say they have been perfected. Oh, and when he was going through trials and difficulties, how many so called good Christians went to minister to him?
My last word is borrowed from what Jesus said, there are some who are first who will be last and some who are last who will be first.
Nice article. I hope that God forgives him and takes him to heaven.
Tongue in cheek..I liked this Clafleur..not all the religious gobbledegook (sorry..but you know what I’m like Clafleur). I liked..that you acknowledged Michael Jackson was an extraordinary pop-artist..I and I’m sure the whole world agrees..you showed compassion (Michael Jackson was definitely damaged goods – please excuse the expression Clafleur)..and everyone deserves a decent burial..excellent article Clafleur.
Without reliving the whole degenerate experience, the one comment that rang any truth, too shed light on judgement, was from you. I then read your heaven and hell piece regarding MJ, I was internally moved by that piece and your comments on judgement. I can feel the exact tone in your writing and your interpretations of the bible are flawless. It’s actually brought something out of me that has been closely gaurded for many years. I always believe things happen for a reason. Had I not had that “debate”, too put mildly, I would have missed out on those precious pearls of wisdom, that I emraced so wholeheartedly. Thank you and keep at it. If you just touch one like me, you have touched many, As I will incorporate this into my life. God Bless You Man!
Yes, I totally agree with your article. I find it so lacking and strange that people who have it all can miss the message of salvation. But therein lies the trap of gaining the whole world, and losing your soul. And no, we cannot judge where Micheal is, but it does seem sad there is not acknowledgement of Jesus in the forefront of his life as publiced as it was. As a Christian, I can only hope that he had come to Christ for salvation.
Janet
Love hides a multitude of sins. I think Michael had a gigantic heart of love and charity. However, I don’t what God’s decision is on where Michael will spend his finally resting place. I pray that God has mercy and allow him into a peaceful rest.
There is no doubt about it. He lead a wild life. From drugs, women, going to bed with kids knowing he has a few of his own.. in my opinion thats rather sick. The part that is so disturbing is that he was never arrested. After, he admitted to going to bed with them. It\’s a shame. I will feel for his kids. I only hope he made peace with god before he past on. As well I hope a priest was with him and his family in that sorrow time. Putting to rest in the respectful way. It\’s also too bad he kind of copied Elvis,.. life in a way. I was not happy with the concert he made after he got cleared of the charges. He sang a song that sounded like he was mocking us. In what looked like China. He was singing a the streets and in what looked like a building.
Frienz4lif,
nikki101
Plez read: http://newsflavor.com/opinion/promoting-a-better-election-world/
also, plez recommend.
Very well written. Hopefully it will cause more people to stop & think about where they might spend eternity.
Nice spin on a touchy subject. From an atheist (sorry) perspective.
Well written and does have some good points.But I was raised that good deeds wil not get you into heaven,only accepting the Lord as your Savior will. But only God and Micheal know where he wound up for eternity.I just hope that he is now at peace with himself since it seemed he never was in life..Micheal did have some good qualities…but they sometimes was overshadowed
by other bad circumstances around him.
good write though our opinions may be different
You are indeed right.
You made a valid point on MJ.
People should be careful what they say about others.
MJ might have messed up.
We as people need to realize God does forgive.
Sorry Clafleur, but I just don’t buy what your preaching. I’m agnostic and I live a very fulfilled life, and I don’t mean in the material sense! That being said I respect your view’s and will continue to read your sermon’s, who know’s maybe oneday something will strike a chord with me.
Your heart speaks what the Lord tells you to I feel. Like it!
I thoroughly enjoyed your article. It was extremely well thought out, organized and the biblical references were spot on in relation to the point you were trying to make. I don’t really care about MJ’s new mailing address, my concern is with those who rose him up to the pedestal so high that they could no longer recognize his human failings. Those are the souls for whom I am truly concerned. I can see from the comments preceding mine that you have some fans, add one more.
While I have no real opinion one way or the other on Michael Jacksons afterlife, I will say that your work is very well written and thought out. Very impressive piece of writing.
I don’t really think it is our place to seek to determine the nature of another person’s after life, no matter who they are, famous or not. It simply is not our job. Jesus said to not judge lest we be judged. So, I cast no judgment either way, nor should you, or anyone else for that matter.
I’d suggest walking a mile in Michael Jackson’s shoes before attempting to pass judgement on the man – he lead an utterly strange life and it wasn’t all of his own doing. I’d argue Michael was a product of Joe Jackson’s ambition, and to paraphrase the Bible – the sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons.
Provocative article – I enjoyed it and did not agree with it verbatim. Those are my favorite articles!
It’s not up to us to say what is genuine in the eyes of the lord and what is not. We have no idea what the lord calls genuine.
I think he can make it to Heaven, with God’s mercy.
some men go on seeking peace but to no avail. It was same with Jackson. Very well written, I never knew Michael Jackson has a Jehovah witness connection through his mother. Thanks for letting me know.
I think MJ owned everything in this world: money, fame, status, and popularity, but sadly, he lost his soul. He lost his spirit to live socially healthy. Anyway, may his soul stays in peace. We can’t say anything here because only the God will decide where he should go.
Thanks and have my liked it.
I think Micheal suffered more than enough on earth. He might not have gone to church every time when there was service but do we know that he didn’t pray at home. How do we know what really went on and in him.
I think that we cannot judge MJ ourselves, for that is God, and only God’s position. We do not know of him well enough to know whether or not he had a true heart for Jesus, and not tithing to the church or attending regular church services does not line him out of being a Christian. This article therefore can only be pure speculation, but you have opened the debate for looking for salvation and how it can be achieved; and for that i congratulate you.
Interesting piece.
Thanks,
Clay
Not going to church doesnt mean anything, church has become dull and controlling, people are walking down the independent path of thier own spritually. When Michael dances on stage spirit completely takes over him. Why cant you feel Michaels love and feel from your heart, instead of your brain with precieved judgements and beliefs. i never go to church. i dont profess at the top of my lungs either, but i believe strongly of the christ conciousness and deeply the creator him/herself and i express it through the way i live. Walk the talk so called christians.
Michael died with prayer beads by his bed. Rest in Peace Michael.
I am not religious now, nor have I ever been, but I’ve seen enough of the world to recognize a dark soul when I see it. Whether it was his lack of a childhood or whatever you want to blame it on, I never felt he was at all genuine. It seemed like there was always something lurking beneath the surface, or some ulterior motive.
Great article!
Very well written, informative.
I enjoyed this, thanks!
Wow I thought that was really deep, I know who is the king and always will be is Jesus, but in a religious way God said “You shall not have and other God but me” Meaning do not idolize people and worship them or make some kind of statue. Yes I thought MJ was a great entertainer but there was a lot of negative things about him too as well, everyone has there faults he was a good guy and his parents raised him to be good and that he was a mormon as well.
I believe Michael made mistakes as we all have but he also did a lot of good with helping others. God tells us that no matter what our sins he will forgive if we ask. Michael Jackson went through a lot of hell as a child which I am sure did some major damage as an adult. More people should see the good in all man and criticize less. None of us here on earth are perfect that is what makes us human!!!!
Nice article very well written but I’m no one to judge him but god himself.
A very bold piece that noone can answer. I think your comment on idolatary is something a lot of pastors and special speakers should think about. The main thing to remember is whatever he may or may not dhave done if he repented he could go to heaven.
Saying one is not judging and then using the idea of someone to make what is obviously a judgement can be called lying. I’m sure that none of you will ever match the kindness of a Jesus Christ.
A good article, like it but I wouldn’t partake in passing judgement on Michael Jackson. From what I have read about him in his autobiography and people who were close to him, he was a man who read and swore by the Bible and even quoted verses when speaking back to people. Being a private person, there may not be press documentation of his beliefs.
As Michael very aptly put it, just because you read it in a newspaper, tabloid or magazine, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is true.
Lots of us do things which are required for the job just to make the income and to capture an audience. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we let go of our convictions and beliefs.
If people idolise you, that is more of their problem rather than the person who is being idolised. I would like to believe that the person being idolised is just an instrument who is pushing the word of the Creator to the world.
I am one of the people whom Michael Jackson touched by his music and his life and I am proud to say this. He is the reason why I write.
Lets face it we are all not perfect, we all have our secrets which as hidden but the only advantage is the fact that we are normal, not in front of the public eye, so there is no chance of it being printed in a paper with pictures splashed all over. We are all sinners and since God is the anthem of forgiveness, we need to make peace with him to be able to gain eternal peace. But sometimes, your external sources maybe just an instrument to make you a better person that you already are. Gold doesn’t shine unless it is put through fire and beaten and I believe that is the same with life too…
On the whole and excellent read and a topic worthy of a very good debate.
Hey if you are reading this then you must know that eventually we ALL are going to all end up just like Michael, and take it from someone who has been hit by lightning, death HURTS!!!