Life is so short. I realize that the event of death is no big secret. To say
that death is coming is like saying that the sky at noonday is blue on a clear
day. Yet, sadly, many people today live as if they're never going to die and
meet their Maker. So many people are oblivious to eternity, merely focusing on
this temporal life. The Bible pleads and cries out for each of us to obey the
Gospel and prepare to meet God. Most people are still hellbound in their sins
and know not the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Most people are
living in the pleasures of sin...
Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment . . . For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Despite the government's claim that people are living longer, the daily news is saturated with people dying at a much earlier age. Pop star, Michael Jackson, died June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California at age 50.
Jackson's biggest hit album was THRILLER, which sold over 50,000,000 copies, making it the top selling album in history. Yet, during his 2005 court hearings revolving around his Neverland Ranch in California, it was discovered that Jackson was financially broke. What is money in view of eternity . . .
1st John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
Infamous for his crotch-grabbing style of dancing and freakish behavior, Jackson is
now being tormented in Hell. His earthly life has passed away and he is now in
eternity, having died in his sins without Jesus Christ. I say this with great sadness (2nd Peter 3:9).
I hurt for people.
I don't understand someone who enjoys seeing another person's calamity. If Satan had his way, we'd all be burning in Hell. I am not condoning Jackson's lifestyle or his sins in any way, I'm simply saying that Jesus died for Him and as believers we ought to love even the worst of sinners. If you'll ponder the meaning of James 2:10, you'll realize that we're all the worst of sinners. Who's the Biggest Sinner? Our only hope is through Christ.
Jackson's religions couldn't save him. Although a lifelong Jehovah's Witness, Michael Jackson had reportedly become an Islamic Muslim in November of 2008 and changed his name to Mikaeel. After his death, Jackson's brother Jermaine gave a press conference and wished that Allah would always be with his deceased brother. Islam is a false religion, begun in the 9th century by a false prophet named Muhammad, who worshipped the moon. This is why the crescent symbol of the moon is the official symbol for Islam. This is why Muslims are required to face Mecca Saudi Arabia and pray 5-times per day in accordance with the cycles of the moon.
Islam is a religion of bondage, where followers are required to obey a Muslim holy book called the Hadith, which teaches that a person will go to hell for even urinating upon them self. Muslims have no guarantee of Heaven and any confidence of knowing so is considered arrogant or sinful. In sharp contrast, the Bible, God's inspired Word, promises that we can KNOW that we are saved in 1st John 5:13. In Christianity, we know we are saved because our salvation is obtained through Christ's righteousness and not our own. However, in Islam, it is one's own self-righteousness that determines whether or not Allah lets them into Heaven. Islam is works based false religion. Sadly, Michael Jackson went to Hell in his sins because He rejected Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Islam rejects Jesus as the Son of God entirely. U.S. President Barack Obama is a known Islamic Muslim as well.
Before converting to Islam, Michael Jackson was a lifelong Jehovah's Witness (JW) as still is Prince, and many other famous celebrities. JW's deny the deity of Jesus Christ (that He is Almighty God), His bodily resurrection and believe as Seventh-Day Adventists do that Jesus was merely Michael, the archangel. Jehovah's Witnesses are of the Devil as are Seventh-Day Adventists. Jesus is Almighty God and He stated so in the Scriptures (John 10:33; 14:1; Revelation 1:8). Anyone who denies that Jesus is Almighty God is not saved. Martin Luther King Jr. professed to be a religious man and a Christian, but he publicly in his writings denied the deity and virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
There are an estimated 6,000,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in this world, but over 1,000,000,000 Catholics. I have found many books exposing the Jehovah's Witnesses as a false cult, such as Kingdom of the Cults, by Walter Martin, but he conveniently fails to mention the biggest damnable cult in the world, Roman Catholicism. Truly the love of money is the root of all evil. Why aren't more Christians today exposing the evil Catholic religion and their doctrines of devils.
Super model, and former Playboy celebrity, Farrah Fawcett, of the once hit television series Charlie's Angels, also died on June 25, 2009 of cancer at age 62. According to a TV show Extra, Farrah Fawcett was a devout Catholic and called for her priest to give her Last Rites before her death. Last Rites is a demonic doctrine taught by the Catholic Church, and is one of their required unbiblical Sacraments, in which they teach that a sinful priest has the power to forgive one's sins before death. I have said it over and over and I will say it until the Lord takes me home to Heaven... NO MAN on this earth can forgive your sins, because they are saturated with sins themselves. Only Jesus Christ, the God-man, can forgive anyone's sins. The only man who never sinned is Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). Jesus came to this earth as 100% God and 100% man.
Sadly, Farrah Fawcett trusted upon her Catholic religion, priest and Sacraments to save her; when she ought to have been trusting solely upon the precious blood of Jesus Christ that takes our sins away. Romans 3:23-25, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have no righteousness of our own, and neither does any pastor nor priest. Farrah Fawcett was deceived by false religion, as are billions of people today.
Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15 of wolves who would come to us in sheep's clothing, teaching a false way of salvation. There are so many false gospels in the world today. There are so many religious deceptions. There are so many false paths you can be led astray down. Biblically, there is only one way home, through Jesus Christ. Please read Pastor Lee Roberson's wonderful sermon, One Way Home.
I
was saddened to learn in September of 2006 that
Steve Irwin, the 'Crocodile Hunter' died at
age 44. Who was
Steve Irwin? According to news reports, he was pierced through the heart by a deadly
stingray barb in Australia. I do not know if Steve Irwin was a Christian or
not. He certainly seemed like a very happy person all the time. He loved animals and did much to help them. It is certainly ironic
that an animal pierced Steve through the heart, when he had given his heart to
animals for so long. I liked Mr. Irwin because
he chose to live on the Sunnyside of Life. It was always refreshing to
see his energy, and personality. Steve has been missed by many.
Yet, I can't help but wonder where he is in eternity at this moment. I get disgusted when I hear the lost world always saying that everyone goes to Heaven ... they don't. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 proclaims, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is clear from the Bible that everyone doesn't go to Heaven. The Word of God states in NO uncertain terms that anyone who dies in their sins without Christ as Savior WILL go to Hell forever, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Jude 1:7 reads, "...suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Hell has eternal fire. If you do not obey the Gospel, i.e., the good news of trusting upon Jesus Christ's shed blood to forgive your sins, then you WILL go to Hell to burn forever.
Respectfully, I do not know if Steve Irwin is in Heaven or Hell. I couldn't find anything in my research to indicate whether he was a Christian or not. I sure hope he is in Heaven; but I have my sincere doubts in lieu of Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for the Truth of His Word that showed me the way which leadeth unto life—that Way, Truth, and Life is Jesus Christ, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." What a precious Savior!!!
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." —Proverb 27:1
