Nothing could more picture the enemies desire to use someone for his evil purposes and then chew them up and spit them out (straight into hell) like the recent passing of superstar and world-known Michael Jackson. His bald, sickly frame was resting in a coffin and the world tried to regurgitate some good memories about this fallen star and yet without some supernatural intervention not known by the world he has entered the place of torment for the beginning of forever. What a sad picture!
The once self-proclaimed king of pop was once an icon like no other in whom women fainted and throngs adored. His sale of over 750 million albums shows that talent galore and dance moves for the ages doesn’t mean a hill of beans when faced with the realities of life, love, and eternity. Never finding true love, living in a constant cloud of suspicion over numerous bazaar habits, and destroying his body with more surgeries than we will ever know left the legacy of MJ more than tainted. All who look at this should remember that to be on the top means nothing in light of what really matters.
To me it all seems more than sad. Tragic doesn’t even begin to describe what was of a life lived in fame untold. Despite all his fame and riches he died like every other human will one day and passed through the portals of eternity to stand and give account before an Almighty God who desperately wanted to save him but if not called on could not.
In a day where celebrities are worshipped and then humiliated (see Brittany Spears) young people should be careful in their exaltation of anyone and even more leary of the desire to be lifted up in human glory.
Isa. 2:11-Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
Amen Pastor Joel! Over this past week, Ive tried to make some of the exact same comments to people, some were even believers, but was immediately answered wit remarks that were less than friendly. People do not want to deal wit the realities of eternity but is in our faces daily. My whole take on the issue with michael jackson passing has been one of utter sorrow for the fate of his soul. He lived a life that most people dream of and yet, without Jesus, it means nothing. What an eternally sad end to a very sad, lonely life.
Wow….you always bring it Pastor Joel! Well said!!!
I’m so glad you posted this Pastor Joel because I was very sad how the world reacted and even told me to have compassion for his death. My heart does go out to his family, but me having compassion isn’t going to change where he is spending eternity. I would much rather put my hope in someone getting saved than holding on to hope that he is with Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!! Instead of lifting Jackson up whom sold 750 million albums that will do nothing for your SOUL of for the Kingdom, instead let’s lift the name of JESUS up whom died on the CROSS for our sins.
Wow! The crazy side of it all is that no one even took the time to think about his soul salvation!
That is so true. He had all the fame on earth but now he has eternity in a place most are for the same exact reason. Why mourn over someone who had the chance to receive God for 50 years and rejected every time?? Well, he’s now a lost soul but he has made that his problem.
Amen Pastor Joel!!! Believers need to stop all of the idolatry. Doesn’t anyone read 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
wow, so true!
Amen Pastor Joel. It is a tragic waste of a God-given gift that might have brought glory to God & saved souls. I think Michael Jackson is a good example that unshakeable faith is needed for good times as well as bad. When we forget who gave us the gifts that bring us promotion & honor it often means we’ve lost focus on the cross & are more likely to make poor choices. The same actions & attitudes that keep faith strong during disaster shields us from the enemy’s bribes. When we are drawn away from the Lord, the prince of lies stands ready to kill, steal & destroy. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; & he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. By humility & fear of the Lord are riches & honour & life. Thank-you for your thought provoking words.
I totally agree as well. I feel sorry for him because he is now in the worst place anyone could be. This just shows me that the world looks at money, fame, and “pop” rather than the morals of a person…but God looks at the heart.
Brad B.
PS-it was nice to finally meet you Pastor Joel it was well worth the wait!! And sorry for being so late to comment..LOL
Hmmmm, I highly doubt that any of us knew the condition of Michael Jackson’s heart before passing. I think we should be really cautious before saying whether or not someone is in heaven or hell. Only God knows a man’s heart.
Hi Pastor Joel,
I agree 100% about fame and fortune not meaning squat when it’s time to die, but I would check on this first.
There is a report from a Christian artist on Facebook and other places that he talked and prayed with MJ just 3 weeks ago and that he accepted Christ.
His name escapes me, but I believe he’s in fellowship with Mary, Mary…the gospel band.
Not sure about the validity, but I would have somebody research it.
Blessings to you and your ministry!
Pastor Joel
I just wanted to thank you for never holding back and preaching the whole gospel, for it is the power unto salvation. I think everyone in America should read this blog, because it would cause us to exam ourselves and actually get up and do something for Christ! Instead of sitting in front of television screens watching godless shows, while praying for revival. Those that say don’t judge, don’t judge, are usually the same people that do not take the time to examine there lives up against the infallible word of God. It’s true not to judge or you will be judged. But the same word says that we can judge a person’s fruit. And the fact is, Michael Jackson’s fruit showed that he was not a follower of Jesus Christ. Now, I pray to God that he excepted Jesus into his heart, but unless he did, he is in hell. The sad part is that so called “Christians” deny that there is a hell and any talk of this place has become taboo. Well unless we become aware of the price of our sin, we will never turn from our ways and turn back to the father. I thank you so much Pastor Joel that you have preached the whole cross unlike many pastors in this nation that stay away from the topics of sin, hell, and the cross. They stand in their pulpits and preach every Sunday about grace, grace, grace. And I thank God so much for his grace, but until people understand their sin and how filthy we are without Christ’s blood, we will never understand his grace and what it means to us. So again thanks for always keeping it real.
P.S. I’m a Holy Ghost Maniac filled with power.
-Left-handed Generation
I agree with Blake. Everyone here is acting like they were with Michael when he took his last breath or some angel texted them when Michael asked was in name in The Book of Life and was rejected. And secondly, has anyone stopped and thought maybe he had a mental illness? That he was a man suffering from internal and mental anguish from his childhood?
Hello, Bro. Joel. I know I am a bit late making this post, but I wanted to tell you that Andre Crouch’s wife has reported that she led MJ to the Lord only 3 weeks before his passing. I, like you, hope this is true and do hope to see MJ dancing on streets of gold one day.
It is always said to see someone depart from this world, whether you knew the person are not. I was so disappointed at how everyone acted when Michael Jackson passed away. I was said because I appreciated his talent, but I didn’t grieve for him. I sat and wonderdered about all his fans, who was saved and who wasn’t. I questioned whether they grieved for Jesus as they did Michael Jackson. I always look at people and ask myself ” I wonder if they know Jesus.” I don’t want to see anyone go to hell! People are worshiping an idol not an icon. You should not love anyone more than you love Jesus. You should not worship a human. People always assume when one dies, that they are in heaven. People should question how the person lived while in earthly form before they passed away. The fear of God is something I think about daily. I am so sad that so many people are lost. The end is approaching. I wonder when people are going to think about Jesus and what he did for us. We should be at the Staples Center having a worship service for Jesus. Why are we glorifying a human?
Tammie, can you explain to my in detail whom should be grieving for Jesus? Didn’t he died on the cross 2,000 years ago and then rise from the dead? And to my knowledge, he’s still alive and well. I grieved for Paris, Prince and Blanket because like them, I lost my father when I was very young. I grieved for Katherine because I saw how my Granny grieved when her daughter died. Michael donated some much time and money to AIDS relief in Africa and he did it without passing judgement on others. Should we give more time to Jesus and God’s Word? Of course. And no one I know (family and friend wise) thinks Michael is higher than God. But for a lot of people, he represented a genre of music and musicianship that will never be again. My mother is the same age as him, so this really hit home for her. She literally grew up with him. And I grew up on traditional gospel as well as Michael and The Jackson 5 because that was apart of our family fabric. Just like those who celebrated Barack Obama’s win, Michael was the first black artist on MTV. It may not be apart of “Christian” history, but it’s apart of world history.
Secondly, it’s amazing how much everyone is upset about his coverage. He was a world famous entertainer. What did you expect? It’s almost like some people are jealous…
Amber, it is apparent that you are a huge Michael Jackson fan and we know!
I don’t believe that any one is jealous of Michael Jackson. Why many are so concerned with how much money he donated to charities, did he tithe any of that money? What church did he belong to? Were you more concerned with his accomplishments or his soul? When you think about Jesus dying on the cross, that should make you grieve. Grieve that he died and paid for our sins and yet some still continue to sin. Do you try to imagine Jesus face on the cross? Michael is dead and it is time to move on to the living souls of the world and making sure that you are praying for them and bringing them to the cross. No one can take away Michael’s great talent, but there are so many left in the world with great talent and they don’t know Christ. I am sad that he died so young, he is the same age as my mother. I am equally sad that he may not have gave his life to the Lord, while giving all of his time to fame and fortune. His family has lost an American favorite, but don’t question why he left so soon. You should spend equally or more of your time grieving for the souls who are still living and don’t know Jesus!
I too grew up with Michael Jackson and the Jackson – 5. I did my Saturday household chores to their songs as well as others. I now think about how wonderful it would have been if he had songs lifting up the name of Jesus. What if he had lead all those people looking at his talents to Christ? I know that the brain is like a computer or recorder. What we see and hear, we repeat over and over again. What we put in is what we get out. I thought, if MJ had just one song about turning to God that had great lyrics, awesome moves and a tune that people would repeat in their sleep. God gave this vision to me some time ago. Be a bold Christian and take over music, dance, entertainment, computers and airwaves. People, Christians or not spend a lot of time in these areas. I was told to reach them where they are. Jesus walked the earth and reach the people where they were. Jesus talked to the fishermen about fish and the farmers about their crops. He would talked in terms in which they knew. I want to take the gifts and talents God gave me to glorify him and lift up the name of Jesus. Children all over the world were listening to MJ. He had all eyes on him. Did God’s light shine or his? I know that we should not judge, because that is for God to do. There is no way to know a person’s personal relationship with God. I believe with God it is a heart thing(like King David). We must let God do his job and we are to keep loving and sharing his words. I have prayed about the hurt that the family went thru with abuse. I just recently saw the memorial program. I loved the part when Marlon spoke as a minister for God.
At this time in my life, I looked around at how often we look at entertainers, atheletes, politicans, and pastors as Idols and not as human beings created by God (the Creator). I see where some people in the public eyes are held accountable and others are not. I love that I keep hearing at Bethany about loving God. I like that the arrow is directed at God and not at man. I know that is why we need a personal relationship with God so that we can hear from him. Each person need to read their bible. Learn the word for themselves. Know the truth and the truth shall set you free. God gave me the opportunity to pray with two (2) people who were terminally ill and asked me about God, heaven, hell and forgiveness. Both talked about all the things they did wrong in their lives. The spirit of the Lord lead me to say to them that God created them and knew them before they were born. I talked to them about accepting God as their Lord and Saviour, about believing that Jesus died for their sins and about confessing their sins to God. God wanted them to reach out to him at that moment. I believe they entered into heaven and will be judged by their acts and deeds while here on earth. What did we do while here to advance his kingdom? That is why we were created to glorify him. We need to let people see Christ in us. What would Jesus say about MJ, Farrah, McNair, anyone in the public eye or just the person sitting on the corner?
This is a great time to bring people to Christ. God let things happen to help us to advance his kingdom. God will always shake things up to get the people’s attention. Whenever someone dies, this is a great time to minister God’s words. People are more open now than before. Sieze the moment. I heard a pastor say at a funeral for someone who was killed due to gang violence. He said this gathering is not for X. He said there is nothing we can do for or say to X. It is for the people who gathered. It is for those who can hear the voice of God. He said someone of you may have never stepped into a church. Some of you may go to church and hear the word sometimes. Some may be regular church goers. Some may be bible readers, church goer and leader for Christ. He let us know we must get it right with God. It is about a one-on-one relationship with God. Try not to lead people down the wrong road. Let people see the CHRIST N U!!! Check the man/woman/boy/girl in the mirror and make a change for God!!! I know whose loving you – God!!!
Thanks Pastor Joel and the Bethany Leaders!!!
Phil 4:13 “I can do all things thru Christ that strengthens me…”
May the peace and love of Christ be with you always…
Robin E. Lovely
I would like to point out a simple, fundamental fact that many of you seem to be ignoring: JOEL STOCKSTILL DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE. To presume to know who will or won’t be led through the pearly gates is INCONCEIVABLE ARROGANCE. Adolf Hitler could be in Heaven now for all we know.
Jonathan Odom
Amen, Pastor Joel! Agreed!
He was not self proclaimed Elizabeth Taylor called him that and it stuck! Good day!