The longer I go with God the more I am convinced God is more concerned with our character and how we do things for Him than what we do for Him and our abilities. After all our abilities and talents are God-given, so why do we think God is impressed? Why do we go after someone with great ability with our whole heart? I laugh in bewilderment when someone scores a touchdown or makes a basket and then they point upward with one finger towards the heavens as to say God helped me score this touchdown, basket, or goal. God is not impressed by our physical abilities (that includes singing, dancing, or playing a musical instrument), but He is very impressed with our ability to humble ourselves and our obedience. God is very impressed with our ability to allow Him to work in our lives so the He could conform us more and more into the image and character of His precious Son Jesus Christ. Now the word “character” in not found in the KJV per say, but the Scriptures of the KJV of the Bible speaks volumes to how much God is concerned about His children possessing Godly character and attributes. One of God’s greatest characters attribute we can posses is being men and woman of great integrity and honesty. Now this integrity and honesty comes out not by doing the right thing every time (something we must also daily do), but out from the “experiences” we have allowed God to take us through to develop and mature the character of our inward man. Paul in Romans shares these verses with us, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience (Strong’s #1832, proving, trial, approved, tried character, a proof, a specimen of tried worth); and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3-5) It is the “experience” in God we have that develops us, that matures us, that allows the revelation of God to grip our heart to such a degree of reality that nothing in this world would be able to move us out of the way God has for us to go. This “experience” (character) we read about in Romans 5:4 gets it origin from the ancient world. In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into moulds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called “dokimos” or “approved.” This is the type of life-style we are to live before God and the world. We are to be men and woman of integrity, men and woman of honor, and of good character. This character: proving, trial, approved, a specimen of tried worth is to go much deeper into the roots of our lives, even down into the recesses and corners of our need for righteousness and holiness. Paul told the Church at Corinth, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (character). 34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) The Church at Corinth was over into some of the most vile despicable areas of sin the church has ever seen. Paul writes, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) It matters not how God uses us, but it matters how we do the things for God; are our motives and intentions pure? It is so easy to be deceived if we do not allow God to work in our lives bringing us to the truth. The truth of the Holy Scriptures does not come to us by way of good works at church or even joining a major denomination, but by allowing God to open His word in the Holy Bible and His words He speaks to our heart through the precious Holy Spirit. So many in the church and in the world are deceived and need to “Awake to righteousness and sin not.”
It is the issues around our character God draws close attention to in our lives. Sadly Michael Jackson, the king of pop music passed away. I say sadly because by his life he was not too concerned with the things of God. Oh he was a great singer and dancer and made millions maybe billions of dollars in his life time, but when he stood before God the day he died the standard of judgment was not how well he could sing and dance, but how much of God’s character did he possess? What was his relationship with God? Again it does not matter what man says about you or what you have done while on earth, what matters is “how” you do things for God and how much of God’s character you have allowed Him to work into your life. Reality and truth is always seen through the eyes of God. Truth is always from God’s word and perspective and if our lives do not align with God’s perspective and word then all we do with our time on earth is for naught. When I first heard Michael Jackson was taken to the hospital I shot a quick prayer up for mercy, but the Lord brought the first ½ of this Scripture to my mind, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God is long suffering, but there is a time God says enough. God knows the past and future, He has plan and He will bring it all to pass. Now I am not saying Michael Jackson is in Hell, I do not know for sure, God is God and He gets to make that call. Hell is such a horrible place, I cannot imagine such a horrible place and wish no one would go there, but we know people daily do. But if we take a truthful look at Michael Jackson’s life we will see it was full of things that run contrary to the word of God. The international media and Hollywood and world entertainers are praising Michael Jackson for his revolutionary and innovative dancing skills and unbelievable voice, but that is not what God is saying about him. Please reread 1 Corinthians 2:9-16. We often do not apply these verses to God’s judgment, but that is what these verses are talking about. Who are those people who have missed out on what God has prepared for them? (verse nine) And why? Because, “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Men who have not allowed God to work in their lives, men who go after the praises of the world more than the praises of God thus have missed out on life eternal with God. Oh they have life eternal, but it is not spent with God, but in Hell. The Bibles teaches “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms 9:17) There are over 54 verses in the Scriptures that speak of Hell. My friend Hell is a real place as much as Heaven is. I really feel bad for Michael Jackson because I believe he was in great jeopardy of gong to Hell like all who reject Jesus Christ. I really believe Michael Jackson opened himself up to demon possession when he did the video “Thriller.” As Hell is real so are demons and if we open ourselves they and 1,000s of their cohorts will fill our mind and spirit. Tens of millions of people hailed him king, but if the world is running (that means in the religious Christian world too) after you and calling you king please know God is not. I cannot believe the number people on TV saying they do not want to live knowing Michael Jackson is dead, they need to find the real King of the world Jesus Christ. Even today “Thriller” is still the number one selling album of all times in the world. Men and women (both young and old) today are still hooked by the demonic spirits that projects Michael Jackson’s music around the world; chief of these demons are the spirits of homosexuality. The longer one goes towards the world and away from God the easier it is to see, not judgment per say, but spiritually discern their life. The world called him the king of pop music, but sadly in reality Michael Jackson died a premature death leaving behind three children, weighing 112 pounds, with needle holes all over his body, almost bald, living in fear and confusion (no wonder his heart failed him) from many allegations of pedophilia, homosexuality, being 500 millions dollars in bankruptcy, and having to take a medicine cabinet full of medications to find rest when all he had to do was turn his life and heart to Jesus Christ the real King of the world. He started out a good looking black man being raised by a Christian mother in the conservative heart-land State of Indiana, but ended up in the weird, freakish, anything goes very liberal State of California. His fifteen facial surgeries disfigured his face to the point he appeared clown-like. His bizarre thinking of reality opened him up to throngs of people abusing his generosity on a day-to-day basis. The world calls his life a success, but the word of God calls it sin and shameful. And his life was out from the choices he made, so too we will end up from the choices we make. Michael Michael, oh how I hope you are not in hell. I would not wish anyone to go to hell, but if so it happens out from the ungodly choices they make in life. Let us not follow the example of Michael Jackson and take a chance with our eternal soul, but allow God to so work in our lives so that we will come to know the truth of the word of God and escape Hell’s eternal flames and torment.
My friend God is concerned about our character and not our abilities. God cares about us drawing near to Him and not the world. Have we allowed God to test us by fire and trials like the coins? The truth we hold in our heart will be seen for all the world to see and hear. I was checking out my new free self-crank radio and I stopped on a Christian radio station. The speaker was talking (like everybody else in the media) about Michael Jackson and said, “we usually do not play Michael Jackson’s music on our station, but in honor of his death we are going to dedicate the next three days to his music.” How they compromised the truth of the message of the Gospel, for what? They replaced God’s message with a worldly entertainer all for the popularity and air-time, like the throngs of people who took advantage of him in life, taking advantage of him in death. God is really watching and listening to what we are doing. Now please do not misunderstand me I am not beating up on Michael Jackson it is too late for him, he will receive the rewards of his choices. But I am warning those who are still alive; take heed, take heed, take heed to ourselves and our relationship with God. Who cares if we are the best singer or dancer in the world? What profit are these when we stand before God? “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37) On judgment day God will not be asking us what we did while on earth, He will already know.
