You will, I am sure see the connection between Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson as being ‘The King of Pop’ and the continuity of commercial interests in maintaining the status-quo, in order for the dollars to keep flowing. Downloads of M.J.’s music shot up after his sudden death and stores across the world soon sold out any merchandise relating to him.
Jackson’s connection with Presley was brought closer by his marriage to Presley’s only daughter, Lisa, but that did not last many months.
It is alleged that though the pop star sold nearly 400 million singles, that he was broke when he died. The world of pop music is so hyped up, and media managed by lawyers and agents. By the time they have had their cut; tax paid to the government and excesses indulged in by the artist, the multimillion pot of cash dwindles to nothing. Proverbs 23:5 says, “Riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away” One should ask Mr. Bernard Madoff if that is true, as he starts his 150-year prison sentence for the world’s biggest Ponzi fraud!
At one of the summer shows last year, where we put a Christian witness, there was a man who came to our stand dressed as an Elvis look alike. He said to me that Elvis was not dead. I assured him that he was very dead. As we talked it began to rain and he said that Elvis was crying. I told him that if Elvis had not repented of his sin and called upon the Lord for salvation before he died, then the place where he now is, he would be weeping and wailing and in eternal torment. For that is what Hell is like and every sinner that dies without Christ as their Saviour goes to Hell. God wants men and women to get a real life, eternal life; this is given to all that receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
Matthew ch.2:1 begins, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” Jesus was born King and when he began His public ministry at thirty years of age he preached that entrance into the Kingdom of God was through being born again (Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John3:3) Throughout time millions of people have believed and been born again, have you?
One such person was a thief that died alongside Jesus on the cross. Pilate had written the superscription, “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” The thief said to the Saviour, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” He believed that Jesus was a King with a coming Kingdom and wanted to be part of it, hence he said, “Lord…”
Christ was born King and died King, He died before the thieves died and the repentant thief could have said, “The King is dead” but I know because He told me, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” He knew that death was not the end and could have said of the Lord, “Long live the King.” In fact another will never supercede this King, He would never die again.
The risen Lord said to John in Rev.1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.” And John wrote in Rev.19 “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Concerning the past, the King has died, concerning the present He is alive, He has triumphed over death and the grave and concerning the future we can say with Paul to Timothy (1:17) “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Have you ever said the words, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Did you really want Christ’s Kingdom to come, and are you a child of the Kingdom? If not. Why not today do what the thief did and call upon the Lord, before it is too late. God bless.
This entry on my blog was written by Stan Burditt of Northampton
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