Michael Jackson & The Gospel

My sister sometimes thinks (and rightly so at times) that since I live way out in the sticks where I barely have indoor plumbing and electricity (so that I can watch my PC monitor without having to revert to candles), I am not able to keep up with the latest what is going on in the world.

Just tonight she emailed me informing me that, in case I hadn't heard yet, Michael Jackson had died. I replied that I had heard something along those lines. (Even the cavemen in the Geico commercials had surely heard about this bit of news.) I ended my email to my sister with this caption: "Death--Not Even Michael Jackson Could BEAT IT."

I must admit that she easily one upped me though. Her quick reply back was: "Yes. And it might not have been a Thriller."

We have had wall to wall coverage on Michael Jackson, so there is absolutely nothing I can add. He had incredible talent, but somewhere along the way, this little boy with a fantastic voice became a very unhappy camper. At the time of his death, his net worth was in the nine figures. But what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, be a worldwide celebrity, have number one hits, be universally recognized and adored, live in luxury every day of his life, be a king that would top king Elvis, but lose his own soul?

Is Michael Jackson's life now a thriller?

I read just tonight that the latest rumor circulating the internet is that Michael Jackson repented of his sin in his last days and "accepted Christ" as his Savior. Andre Crouch and his sister visited Michael Jackson just days before his death, and they had some interesting spiritual conversations, but according to Andre Crouch, there was nothing there to suspect that Michael Jackson turned to Christ in faith and repentance before his death.

Michael grew up a Jehovah's Witness, left that cult early in his career, and converted to Islam last year. Did Michael convert to Christ before his death? Did Michael repent of his sin? Did Michael put his sole trust in Christ alone? Where is Michael now? Who knows the answer to these questions?

God does.

We can wishfully speculate, and unlike John Lennon, imagine that Michael is in heaven now, but one thing is for sure--nothing man can do in this life impresses God. The Lord is not star-crazy, and He is not bowled over by man's successes. What "impressed" God was the death of His Son, who in the very nature of God, took man's sin upon his body on the cross and paid the full penalty of man's sin. It was that substitutionary death that averted and appeased the just wrath of God and appropriated the mercy and grace of God to every repentant, trusting heart. It is this gospel of Jesus Christ that makes an eternal impression upon God.

I grew up a big New York Yankees fan, because my dad was. The team of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Bobby Richardson, Whitey Ford, Clete Boyer, Elston Howard, and others--now that was America's team. The Yankees of today are not the Yankees of yesteryear. I loved Mickey Mantle. I wore number 7 as a boy, and if I had a "hero", it would have been Mickey Mantle.

Mickey, though, lived a rough life. He made no pretensions of being a moral, upright individual, let alone a professing Christian. I was so delighted to read and hear that before Mickey Mantle died, Bobby Richardson witnessed to Mickey at length, and Mickey Mantle repented of his sin and became a believer in Jesus Christ. From all accounts, it was a genuine conversion experience.

If Michael called out to God for salvation like what Mickey did before his timely death (all deaths are timely from God's perspective, since the very days of our lives are all numbered), then Michael's life now is much more than a thriller, and he, through Christ, was able to beat death after all. Isn't that what Jesus told Martha in John 11:25-26 when Martha's brother had died?

We can romanticize all we want to that Farrah has gone from being Charlie's Angel to the Lord's Angel, that Michael is leading the heaven's choir, that Ed McMahon has won the Big Sweepstakes himself now, that Billy Mays is now the Lord's pitch man, but romanticism never got a soul in heaven.

Like everyone else, all those celebrities need the gospel. We need Jesus in this life, so that we can have Him in the life to come. That's the thriller, and nothing can beat it.

Yours in Christ,
Chris

Warren and Purpose-Driven Deaths

Young Iranians are taking to the streets to revolt against the mullahs that control every aspect of daily life in Iran. Maybe the winds of freedom blowing from Iraq have caused many brave Iranians to crave that same liberty which has been denied them for so long. Our President has been very slow and hesitant to speak strongly on behalf of those who are risking their lives. Former Presidents have quickly rallied behind those in different countries who wanted so much to whiff that same air of freedom that we breathe every day in our nation. (One, though, does wonder if that air of freedom we breathe is being more and more contaminated with each and every passing day.)

While all this is going on, what does America's self-appointed pastor decide to do? Rick Warren is scheduled to speak at the annual convention of The Islamic Society of North America, July 3-6, in our nation's capital. What kind of "mosque growth" tips will he give to the conference participants, which include Dr. Muzammil Hussain Siddiqi, an ardent Islamic fascist/terrorist who led a flag burning in Los Angeles where he spat on and cursed the American flag?

Rick Warren has already stated Muslims and Christians worship the same God, so it is hardly likely he will preach from John 14:6 at this upcoming conference.

What will Rick say? What can he say to keep up his image of being a world reconciler, a healer among all faiths, the promoter of his own P.E.A.C.E. program? Will he be like the apostle Paul who said, "We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth?" Will he be like our Savior when he faced the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate?

Whatever one wants to say about our President, at least he makes no claims of being a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But Rick Warren does make that claim about himself.

I remember very vividly some years ago a prominent Baptist pastor in our state, not far from where I live, came to Rick Warren's defense because Rick was beginning to get some criticism for his wayward beliefs. In the state Baptist paper, this pastor of a megachurch simply responded to a letter by saying that all the naysayers of Rick Warren can easily be discounted because God's hand of blessing was upon Rick due to his church's large growth and his wide influence around the world. The implication in this pastor's defense was that all the critics of Rick Warren were probably pastors of small churches, and therefore they simply were not of the caliber of a Rick Warren.

God was blessing Rick, so we should never question Rick, especially if you and I can't hold a candle to Rick's success.

Since Islam is growing faster around the world than all Purpose-Driven churches put together, then I guess we should conclude that God (or, Allah; it makes no difference, remember?) must be blessing Islam?

So while the Purpose Driven Life pastor is speaking at the annual convention of The Islamic Society of North America in some coming days, what shall we make of the deaths on the streets of Iran that are purposefully driven by a bloody ruthless regime whose "God" some say is no different than the Lord God whom Christians worship and serve?