I started something. And ya know what. I am glad. On Facebook I read that Michael Jackson died. SO many people wrote about how it grieved them and how the world was losing one of he greatest singers and songwriters of our time.
And I got angry. These were Christians grieving.
I commented about not grieving over the loss of his music, but, rather, about where he was now. And I got some backlash.
I was judgmental. Only God knows where he is now.
Well, yeah.. but our the way we live our lives says a whole lot about what we believe and embrace. Michael Jackson believed and embraced a lot of evil. C’mon people.. have you ever read the lyrics to his songs? Do you sing these in the shower or while you exercise? Wake up and smell the coffee!
Am I being judgmental? Maybe.
Do I believe God forgives? YUP! I have been forgiven MUCH! And absolutely, MJ could be forgiven. But if he was a child of God then he certainly didn’t live there. He lived in the realm of darkness and evil. Yep.. that’s harsh. I’ve been there.. lived in sin.. done evil.. been forgiven. I recognize it and am not afraid to call it what it is. Sin is evil. I still sin. But I choose to live in the light… growing and desperate to change.
My concern is how Christians can call him a great songwriter and singer and grieve that he is gone because of that. If you need proof go here… MJ song lyrics, but, quite honestly… I encourage you not to. The words are awful.
The following is an email I sent to a friend because I was concerned that I offended them with my words. I encourage you as well… if I offended you, let me know. But I won’t be silent and offend my Jesus by letting this pass as a loss of a wonderful person.
I’m so sorry what I said bothered you. In no way do I believe that someone can’t be a Christian and stray so that you can’t tell anymore. I know that happens.
But, Michael Jackson… have you listened to the lyrics of some of his songs? And I know he got off on the molesting thing but I truly believe it was because he is a big star and has megabucks… not because he was actually innocent.
Is it possible that he is a Christian?
Yes.
Do I really believe he is?
No.
Does my belief matter in the long run?
Nope.
But I was just getting really irritated with all the status’s talking about what a wonderful person he was and how the world is going to miss him and his greatness and how he was one of the best musicians and songwriters of all time. This written by Christians. His song lyrics were drugs, sex, abuse, and swearing. He looked like a woman and sexually molested little boys. Where he is, of course, is between him and God… but I don’t grieve that we no longer have him to make music and perform for us. Whether he was God’s or not… he left a legacy of evil behind.
Maybe I am sounding harsh to you… I am so sorry if I am offending you. I am just sickened by the response of Christians to this. He wasn’t a hero or a great musician. He was a hurting, twisted man who needed Jesus to change him. And he died with that legacy… not the one being attributed to him.
As I often say… but for the grace of God… there go I. If He wasn’t in me … changing me… healing me… I could be just like MJ… and if I don’t continue In Him… I could end like him. I don’t want that legacy. I would rather die today then end that way.
If you are still bothered… please tell me. I don’t want anything between us.
Some may think I am crazy for sticking my neck out here. But I am not one to let a slight to Jesus slip by without a word. And that’s what I feel this is. Christians should not be grieving the loss of his talent… but instead be concerned about his eternal dwelling. Maybe you have fond memories of a teenage crush… but that isn’t eternal perspective. If you embrace and enjoy his music then you need a wake up call. It is opposite to the values and beliefs Jesus longs to instill in us. Put the past behind and reach for His high calling! Choose life and not lyrics of death and decay.
Ok… I’ll climb off my soapbox and clamp my lips against the desire to apologize for what I’ve said. (Sigh) I hate hurting, offending, or making others defensive. Yet, I hate disappointing my Jesus more. So I’ll leave it in your hands. I hope I haven’t offended… but, rather, stirred you to think about things more deeply. You are, of course, entitled to your own opinions as I am mine… I hope if you disagree you will do so in love. And hope you hear the love and heart I have in what I just shared.
ADDENDUM…
I have to add something here. Several have brought up that they would have been judged as non-believers in the past if you looked at their lives.. and yet they had accepted Jesus in their lives prior to this. I could say the same thing. I have strayed from Him and lived in some really poor choices… in sin. I believe… and you can feel free to disagree, but, this is my experience… that those who have chosen Him aren’t left there. He woos us, He convicts us, He disciplines us to bring us back to Him. (In fact here is my experience written as an allegory… Broken )
But then there is the story of the prodigal son. He chose specifically to leave His Father… and was allowed to go and do as he wished.. to wallow. Could this be the case for Michael? Absolutely. Do I believe that is the case… not really. His life was marked as one who seemed to have no conscience, no desire for anything right and pure. He seemed to embrace all the evil one offered.
I say seemed. I do not know him. I can only speak on what the media reported. This is true. I would love to be wrong. I would be thrilled for him… but sorry that He lived a life that glorified Satan rather than his Savior.
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I really appreciate your boldness to say what needs to be said. There is no delight in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11), and it is not a pleasant thing to have to speak of unpleasant truths. But as you said, it is far worse to offend our Lord, and He told us, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20 (HCSB)) The same Jesus who said, “Judge not,” also said “By their fruits you shall know them.” Scripture is full of commandments to be discerning and speak the truth in love. It is too late for love to do any good for MJ unless he had repented at the end of his life and been truly saved. That we don’t know. But for now, love must speak words of warning to those who fall into idolatry by worshiping other human beings (and yes, MJ was worshiped), and who delight in the evil that he entertained them with.
If you had delighted in his death and in the prospect of his eternal fate, that would be one thing. But that’s not what you’re doing. You’re trying to warn those still living, for whom it’s not too late. Thank you for having the courage and love to do that.
Lately I have been concerned over the many who profess to be Christian and yet because of the standards they choose to live by they cannot really be distinguished from the world. Jesus made a lot of clear and simple statements such as, “Why do you call Me Lord and don’t do the things I say?” Your statement, “He was a hurting, twisted man who needed Jesus to change him,” was likely completely accurate, still, Jesus came to save sinners, and the hope we can all have for him is that he recognized his need before he died.
Well said! My husband and I were watching the drama on TV and thinking some of the same things. We were sad for him when he was alive, how much more so now. I do feel bad for his family, I know they are hurting as well. I also believe that they are part of the reason he was so broken and twisted. That family is so very talented musically, what God could do with that!!!
I did go to the website you posted here to read his lyrics. I haven’t listened to secular music in a few years so I had no idea what they contained. I did know some of his older songs but I was never a huge fan.
I’m glad you stood up, and spoke up.
Thanks for writing/posting this. I totally agree with you 100%.
The Bible says we will know them by the fruits they bare and MJ definitely did not bare any good fruits. His eternal home was the first thing I thought about when I heard he died (and also Farrah’s) . My daughter and I went to dinner last night and you should have heard the conversation from each table… all about MJ and Farrah. I’m sad to say but Satan was a happy camper yesterday, he won two souls! Both that died I’m convinced are damned to Hell right now. Am I judging nope, not trying to, but it is what it is. She posed for playboy, did drugs and so forth. MJ was a child molester, drug user and so on….I dont believe any of that glorifies God. Thanks for standing up for my Lord and speaking your mind. Sorry to say but I didnt, I never posted a thing about all of this. All I did was feel sorry for those that did b/c obviously they’re not saved either.
Have a blessed day!
I think defending our Lord is fantastic! He comes first for sure! …but I have to say… I’ve felt sorry for Michael for a long time…I can’t help but think that his talent was G0d-given…and minus the “bad lyrics” he was an EXTREMELY talented guy!! Did he abuse this talent, and his body, and his celebrity, and others, etc, etc, etc….? yes. But why?! For someone to be so twisted, he must have been in so much pain! I hope in the end he fell at the Lord’s feet and was granted some mercy…
Good for you for defending Jesus first and formost!! Do keep in mind though…we have to put the capital “C’ down sometimes and just let people be sad…
Shirley. Thanks for bearing the offence of the cross so openly. You have said all that needs be said. So (despite my writer’s blood) I will now be silent.
Many of these same defenders and media people who are oozing sympathy and sorrow for his death were first in line during MJ’s trial to mock and rue his lack of conviction by the jury on the felony charges he faced for molestation of children. There’s a reason his career tanked in the years following that trial: the public knew his debauchery with children was wrong, but now their sympathy seems to know no bounds. I, too, think his was a talent wasted and a life lived in pain and fear and excess. I feel sorry for his family–they seemed to know that he was on a downward path. No one wants to measure how things could have been different for him had the Light of Jesus been in his heart and life.
AMEN and AMEN!!! Shirley, I agree with you completely. Thank you for your boldness and conviction. It is my understanding that he converted to Islam, and one cannot be both. Plus, as an adult victim of child molestation, I cannot mourn the death of a pediphile. Those Christians who are condemning you (and others) for speaking out about the condition of his soul, are forgetting what Jesus Himself said, that we would be known by our fruit. If it looks like mango, smells like a mango, and lives like a mango, it is not a peach, it’s a mango! Great job in standing up for your convictions!
While I did enjoy his music when I was younger and ignorant to lyrics, I’m angry about the way he is being slammed on Facebook. If nothing else, he did leave behind a family who is and will be mourning him. They deserve the respect of being allowed to mourn, and to do so in privacy; without being subject to criticism of who he was and thing that he did, not being hounded by the media.
Shirley, thank you for being so bold. I was shocked, but I wouldn’t say I was mourning. It certainly reminded me of my mortality. Thank you for reminding me of “this side” of the issue.
HMMM…Were any of you at MJ’s deathbed? NO! Do you know whether or not he accepted Christ before he passed? NO! Just a few years ago I looked, smelled, and lived like a mango. But guess what? Now I’m bearing fruit for God! The same grace, mercy, and forgiveness that I have been given can be given to someone like MJ if he accepted Christ into his heart…and he may have done so before his death. (I stress may have) My Bible tells me that God “is forgiving all [our] error,” (Psalm 103) even jacked up song lyrics and whatever else he may have done.
Shirley, your boldness, your heart, your convictions are God’s. I appreciate your courage. I applaud it.
I mentioned how it has surprised me and leads me to wonder what’s going on, 3 “ICONS” died within days of each other. I do NOT mourn MJ’s death. One: I don’t know him; Two: another poster here said it already, by their fruits we will know that they are HIS disciples. (Matthew 7:15-20) this passage refers to us watching out for those who call themselves christian, and ARE NOT. You can NOT find gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles.
Why would Jesus tell us that, if there was no way to know if a person is a follower of Christ?
Anyway, I back you up. I support you. Christians these days need to clamp down on Scripture and see that it stops being diluted (in as much as they can by testing everything for themselves against Scripture)!
My convictions are strong. May be misinterpreted, but I’ve been down those paths that lead to disillusionment, and refuse to allow myself there again and will holler, “WATCH OUT! There’s a cliff ahead! Turn and be saved!”
I don’t know what Jackson may or may not have been guilty of. It would be nice to know where he truly stood with Messiah, but we won’t know that until we are also in Eternity.
I do surmise from the way he lived his life that he hadn’t found contentment in Messiah. Many of his actions were those of someone trying to redefine himself into something besides what he was, and the sad thing is, if you don’t like who you are, you probably are not going to like who you want to be.
It’s sad that he’s gone, but I don’t feel nearly the loss for his passing as I did for Keith Green’s or Rich Mullins’ passings. Both of those men were also talented singers and songwriters, and their works encouraged me, challenged me, helped me lift up in praise, and even stepped on my toes when it was needed. I don’t listen to Christian music exclusively, but what I do listen to doesn’t tear me down.
Michael Jackson was a performer, and a talented one. Whatever his spiritual status was, it’s rather sad that his talents weren’t turned towards building people up and glorifying God.
Did anyone evangelize and pray for Michael Jackson. If not then it’s so sad because God will hold christians responsible for his soul if miraculously he didn’t receive Jesus when he was dying. Remember christians shall be held accountable for the blood of sinners. This is a wake up call , no matter how we may feel that he did evil there is no sin too big or too small for God, the blood of Jesus can wash away any sin he came and died for everyone including Micheal Jackson, but it is just sad if nobody told him about this good news, my prayer is that he miraculously received Jesus in his final hour. God does not delight in the death of the wicked that is if he never repented so christians should not rejoice because they shall be accountable for everty soul to God.It is time to wake and preach the gospel without fear ands compromise. But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses from Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the world.
Shalom and Ilona, very well put!
I’m gonna assume that you are Caucasian. You just cant stand to see that Black Man became the most famous and most loved man In the world. lets call it what it is. Racism. Judge not, for ye too shall be judged!!!!! You as a people have given nothing to the world but sadness, war, disease, and death. Get a life, stop judging people and let this powerful, influential Black Man answer to the creator. I’m sure, I’m even willing to bet my life that you are NOT perfect.
Also. Jesus was BLACK!!!!!!!!! In case you didn’t know that. Your priests in the catholic church dress like women and molest little boys all the time. HA HA HA. Go to hell!!!!!
Dear Christian Sister,
I am encouraged to read your perspective on this issue. We live in a world that embraces the bad and mocks the good. I will start by saying that I am guilty of being one of the many who encouraged Michael Jackson in his life of excess and darkness. I did not know at the time that’s what I was doing but– as I went to the concerts, bought 2 and 3 copies of his albums, plastered my life and walls with his image and in general placed him in the place of God– he was empowered and encouraged to more and more pride of life, etceteras.
I was not yet saved and upon my salvation, one of my first acts was to tear down those high places in my life–namely, I had to denounce my intense love and devotion for every and anything Michael. This is a true testimony. I actually thought I was supposed to marry this man at one point! I threw away records, cd’s cassettes, books, photos, autographs and refused to watch him anymore.
When the news of his death reached me– I felt sick. The first thing I said to everyone’s surprise was, “Oh no, he is in hell and it’s partially my fault.” I have been heart sick, namely because as a Christian Missionary who now realizes and understands that the principle thing is Believing Christ– I failed to pray for Michael’s salvation. I know that we must Believe Christ unto salvation. I lamented whether anyone ever really told Michael Jackson about the real Jesus? The Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus who is our Creator, and who was in the beginning.
This is my response. One who cared deeply for the entertainer Michael Jackson no longer as a commodity or a ‘SuperStar,’ but, as a creation of God, one for whom Jesus died– one who, apparently, died without being redeemed.
Many there are on this broad road. Pray for the souls of all mankind. Jesus is coming soon.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Robin
Oh my Goodness… LOL. I am sooo NOT racist (as you obviously are.) I have had many black friends… color is nothing to me. What is inside shows the man or woman. And if you read the post at all you would realize I never claimed to be perfect.. far from it. Your bitterness colored your lens that you used to view this post. May you realize God’s intense love for you so you don’t miss out on relationships with people with skin colored differently than yours.
Ummm… Jesus was Jewish.
And I’m not Catholic.
And I won’t be going to hell.
Well said, Robin. Let’s use this as a challenge to pray for others that we watch in the news instead of turning our backs on them as hopeless.
You are absolutely right! Let’s use this as a catalyst to pray for others that are misusing their fame and power!
Very insightful, Hoomi. That second paragraph resonates.
The original Jew is Black!!!! No whites could have survived in that region of the world. He had hair of wool and skin of bronze. Not hair of strings and skin of a leper! We are the chosen people of God, The original. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first!!!!!!!! Get your facts in order. Jesus was a Black Man. The God that you worship is BLACK!!!!!! i get a great sense of fulfillment knowing that you are worshiping a Black man.
Please pray for me. I have put out lots of negativity and for that I am truly sorry. I ask for your forgiveness. God bless each and every one of you.
ME, all of us need to get out of our color-centric thinking when it comes to God. Skin tone is a necessity for this temporal realm. My very pale skin harkens back to my ancestors who lived in northern regions, where their skin had to absorb as much sunlight as possible to create vitamin D. Those with darker skin would not have thrived in those latitudes, since the abundance of melanin in their skin is there to protect them from excess sunlight (as you mentioned).
You are correct; Jesus was not a light-skinned European. He was likely of a medium-dark complexion, much like many of the Semitic peoples of the Middle East.
God, however, is neither a “white” God nor a “black” God. Mark Twain once quipped that God made man in His own image, and man returned the compliment. We tend to identify God in ways that make Him most accessible to us, but the reality is, our finite descriptions cannot even come close to the Almighty. To limit Him to these temporal skin tones is to suggest He has physical limitations that must be adapted to the environment. Does God need pale skin to absorb extra sunlight? Does God need dark skin to protect him from excessive sunlight?
When we arrive in His presence, we will be perfected like He is. Our bodies will no longer need these superficial differences that have helped our peoples survive. All these racial traits that we in our fallen state have allowed to divide us will no longer be relevant. All of this will be convered under the old things that will have passed away, and we will be new.
I don’t care what color God might be, because He doesn’t care what color I am. I’m thankful that the day will come when our sinful natures that keep us apart will be gone, and we will be able to truly unite in fellowship and praise of our Redeemer.
And if Michael Jackson is there, I’ll be happy to praise right alongside him, too. We’re all going to get in the same way – by the grace of God.
Shalom aleichem. Peace to you.
See, it is judgmental and self-righteous people like you who wrongfully persecuted and condemned Michael without cause. There is nothing evil about Michael’s songs. His songs were his personal messages about God, love, unity, injustice, humanity, racism and so much more. His message was so universal that’s why millions of people were affected by his music and his death. There is no way he could have the impact and influence he has had on the world and God not have his hand on his life. God promoted Michael and used him to minister to the masses. You need to pray that God will give you revelation about this man before opening your mouth to speak against him.
Michael was falsely accused and I pray he will be vindicated. I pray judgment will come swiftly for Michael’s enemies. Michael’s life mirrors the life of Christ and the Word of God testifies of that, the good, bad and ugly that he suffered. The Word of God also testifies against those of us who touched God’s anointed and who didn’t care about the consequences of doing so.
Michael’s death was another 911 wake up call. We all need to repent, ask forgiveness for our sins, get our lives in order so we can walk out our purpose in life which is to simply glorify God. Michael accepted God and Jesus Christ. He glorified God in ways we in our finite minds will never comprehend.
Wow, Anita. Well… all I can say is, you leave me speechless.
I’m sure Michael did not accept Jesus Christ because he and most of the Jackson family are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah; they do not believe that their messiah has yet come. This is a problem because the Bible says that Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven and that he IS the Savior and the Messiah and you cannot believe that Jesus was just “a good man” or a “prophet” and get to Heaven. You MUST believe that he was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior, the Vine, the ONLY way to Heaven. Forget MJ’s song lyrics. That belief alone does not make him a Christian, if that is truly what he believed and practiced. I am not being judgmental; I am only providing the facts as I know them, according to the Bible which IS GOD’S WORD.
Well, I understand the reasons you’re posting this and overall, I would agree that MJ’s life didn’t glorify the Lord. I totally disagree with Anita, though.
As a once-judgemental Christian, I now know the grace of God goes further than we often realize. In the kingdom of God, the first shall be last, the last shall be first. That means, if MJ called out to the Lord in a stupor near the end, then Christ saved him. But we just don’t know, do we? So let’s save the harshness. Michael Jackson had a God-given talent, but many deep wounds and pain he couldn’t rid himself of. He went from being raised in Jehovah Witness cult to converting to Islam in late 2008. He even had a Jewish rabbi as a spiritual advisor at one time. Jackson was messed up and exploring everything…did he end up with Jesus? Probably not. But we needn’t condemn the man. The king of pop will now answer and bend his knee to the King of Kings.
We will never know this side of eternity if Michael Jackson accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior on his deathbed and all of our prayers and discussions will not change whether or not he did. We can look at his public life and conclude that he did not make that decision beforehand, or at least not with enough time to show any fruit.
I am curious, Anita, what you see in Michael Jackson’s lyrics or life that mirror Jesus? I worship the Jesus of the Bible and what I know of Michael’s (public as I know nothing of his personal) life showed very little that mirrors the selfless love of Christ. Jesus did more for the promotion of the status of woman than the Feminist Movement and more for the uniting of cultures than the Roman empire or the “Great American Melting pot.” Michael Jackson promoted unity and equality of people and that was perhaps his greatest attribute to society. But did he do so selflessly, or for publicity? I do not know.
Everything Jesus did while on earth was in direct submission/obedience to the Father. We see many examples of this in Scripture when He prays and when He specifically tells this to the disciplines. I have a hard time interpreting anything that Michael Jackson did as submission or obedience to anything other than his own desires or his own searching for relief from his pain.
Again, we will never know this side of eternity where Michael’s heart was when he died. We, as Christians, should grieve for Michael for the legacy that he left behind — a legacy that drew people away from God and to things evil.
I agree with you for the most part. Your lyrics link doesn’t work properly though. I can’t say I know many of the lyrics to MJ’s songs, I was never a fan except when he was a little boy with the Jackson Five and very slightly when Thriller was out. However, I do know he has written good songs, like Man in the Mirror, so it isn’t all horrible.
However, Michael was a pathetic wreck of a man. A living example of the ruin that comes to a man who gains the world and loses his soul. I hope he isn’t in hell, but I am not grieving for him. I’m quite sure he isn’t hanging about in a crescent moon looking down on us as Brooke Shields seems to believe.
Oh, I forgot to add that while I am not grieving for the loss of Michael for myself, I am sad for his children. The only time I cried was when Paris said her goodbye. He was a mess, but he was the only father those kids knew and he is gone. They need our prayers.
I want to correct something before… I said that i’m sure michael didn’t accept Jesus. I cannot be sure. Only God is. But, the odds don’t seem to be in his favor, according to the beliefs he was raised with… I guess we will find out only when we get to Heaven.
this is why the Lord says ‘judge not, less we be judged.’ i’m sure if you did something bad, you wouldnt want ppl to keep talking about it. nor would you want lies constantly spread. we don’t know if Michael Jackson touched those kids or not. oh, excuse me. after he died, all of his accusers retracted their statements and said the man never touched them a day in his life. even the little ‘home alone’ boy stood up for him and said Michael never touched anyone. as for all the other stories that want to pop up now, I could care less. Mike isnt here to defend himself. he’s gone and only God can change that. there should be more respect for the graved.
as for him glorifying evil when he was on earth – i grew up with Michael Jackson. heard a lot of his songs, seen a lot of his vids, and honestly, where is the evil? i actually hear this man singing about taking care of the earth and animals God gave us, helping those that are less fortunate than us, not turning your back on a fellow human, and making personal changes to self to become a better person. he didnt just sing on it, he did it too. 39 plus charities? for the love of God, Michael didn’t even harm flies and insects! he loved and appreciated every living thing. there was a bug onstage and he told his security to come get it and set it free – keeping it clear NOT to kill the bug.
but anyway, i know everyone is equally capable of good and bad, and even though Mike had that song stating he was ‘bad’, all i saw was the good in this man. i really respect the fact that even though he struggled with himself, he was so selfless with others. what other performer do you know of would let fans that couldnt afford tickets watch their show for free? who do you know that comes off a 15 million dollar concert or tour, and then they’d give ALL of their recent earnings to charity? not to collect on taxes, but to actually give from the heart. he didnt have much of a childhood, which wasnt his fault, but he used that to give and make others happy.
God said the meek shall inherit the earth, and Mike was that meek man. the earth so loved him because they saw the goodness in him. i dont worship him – he’s only a man, no matter how talented. Jesus can’t be topped by anyone, this i know. but dont go around making a kind hearted man out to be evil. he had enough problems and ppl talking about him when he walked the earth. now let God sort everything out.