Over the last few weeks we have seen some famous people pass away. David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Steve McNair and Billy Mays to name the most famous.
I have memories of many of them. Kung Fu, the poster my friends had that my parents never let me own, Thriller, Heeeeere's Johnny, the 2000 Super Bowl, and Oxy Clean. Sadly there are also some other memories, drug abuse, allegations, infidelity and other things that clouded up their lives. These past few weeks I have heard people want to make these people into saints, completely glossing over their flaws and failures and I have hear people wanting to villify them completely ignoring any good they might have offered in their life. Truthfully, much of what was reported and written was...well, sad.
But to me the saddest comment I heard was from a family member spoken to Michael Jackson. His parting comment was "May Allah bless you Michael." Got to tell you, when I heard that a shiver went up my spine. Whenever someone famous passes away my first question is "I wonder if they knew Christ as their Savior". Sometimes that gets answered at the funeral.
My point is that I don't always allow the mistakes and failures of their lives to be their judgment of whether or not they are in heaven because it ALWAYS comes down to Jesus. Not Allah, not the way they helped the poor or the needy, not the foundations they started, not even whether they are black or white...just Jesus.
Take care,
Rod
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Amen! However, the memorial service did remind us that we are only here for an instant... time is not unlimited... how we chose to spend it DOES matter to God. Best wishes & prayers for your new church. I pray you'll stay focused on "Him" in all your efforts and that the new church will flourish in the desert! (from AZ)
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