I grew up listening and dancing to a lot of Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 music. Loved the videos, like much of the world did.
I felt sad when hearing of his death, and sadness for what his life had become. I shed a tear watching the memorial programme this evening (apart from of the ecumenism and worship of MJ), I can appreciate that those people lost a brother, friend, son, father.
This sobering video below though, puts it all into perspective for me: the king of pop must now bow to the King of kings.:
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment;” – Hebrews 9:27
I just saw this post on Pulpit-Pimps.org about George Müller then read of his Wikipedia entry. What a powerful story! I highly recommend watching the videos.
I had heard his name before, but I can’t believe I knew so little about him even though I’m UK born and raised. Looks like I’ll be heading to the bookshop in the near future, Lord willing.
What an example of a dramatic conversion experience – from underage drinking and gambling to missionary and really trusting God for all his needs. Once again I’m convicted of a need to trust the Lord in every area of my life and to be a doer of the word, not just a hearer:
“Little children, let us notlove in word or talk but in deed andin truth.” – 1 John 3:18
I remember many years ago when I finally realised that I was indeed not a good person, I thought that I cannot go to church as it’s for “good people”. I wanted to at least be perceived as “good” and “respectable” so I thought that by joining a church and becoming a faithful member that that should do the job.
How little I knew!
The Bible tells us that no-one is good (Psalm 14:1, 3, Psalm 53:1, Psalm 53:3), all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The just and true penalty for sin is death, but faith and repentance in Christ brings new, eternal life (Romans 6:23).
I also remember being told very early on in my Christian walk by a minister that it’s sad that some people “never move on from repentance”, as though repentance was a one-off event! Thank God for His word, I now know that repentance from sin is a hallmark of new life in Christ, that we are being sanctified. The gospel is central to the life of the believer! I’m in the middle of reading a book called “Living the Cross Centred Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing” by C.J. Mahaney. In it, he declares the same thing – that while there are many worthy things to ponder and study from Scripture, the gospel is indeed central – the only essential message. In my mind, it’s a grave and sad error to toss the gospel aside once a “decision” has been made at the altar, as though salvation is a mere ticket to heaven.
In the clip below, Mr Paul Washer expresses the point better than I can.
By the way – if you’re not not convinced that you’re not a good person, whose standards are you going by? Yours or God’s? Take this test and see.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, andnotwe ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
If this is true of our natural birth, then it must be also true of the second birth, our Christian new birth. It’s not about making a decision for Christ, but being made a new creation (2 Cor 5:17, Galatians 6:15). It is all by the grace of God, and I’m so grateful, because in my natural mind I would not, and did not, choose Him.
This message by John Piper is almost opposite to what I’d been taught… I’ve heard my former pastor denounce “once saved always saved” as a doctrine from hell. Now I understand that the Scriptures teach that once we’re born again, we’re kept saved. Thanks and glory be to God!
