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Liberty Advocate
Michael Jackson's Deadly Mistake
by
Karen Pansler-Lam, J.D.
Michael Jackson made a deadly mistake: he heard the wrong voice.
Whose voice did Michael hear call to him, “Follow me”?
Michael Jackson made a deadly mistake. No, I’m not talking about using drugs. And people around the world are making the same deadly mistake. Are you? Don’t be so quick to answer “No.” Every day we hear voices all around us. And all these voices want to be heard; otherwise, they would keep silent. Some lift up their voice in speech. Some lift up their voice in writing. Some lift up their voice in noise. And some lift up their voice in song. Some voices desire to build us up. Some voices desire to bring us down. Some are voices out of the darkness; some are voices out of the light. And all these voices call to us: “Follow me.” Now, listen closely my dear friend. If we hear the wrong voice, it will lead us down a path of destruction. Hearing the wrong voice is a deadly mistake. Sadly, Michael Jackson made that deadly mistake: he heard the wrong voice. Let me digress a minute and explain the difference between "listen" and "hear." To listen is to pay attention to a sound or message. To hear is to listen or perceive sounds or voices. But hear also means to listen to with favor, such as “Lord, hear my prayer.” So, we listen to many voices, but whose voice do we hear? Whose voice do we listen to with favor? As explained earlier, Michael Jackson made that deadly mistake: he heard the wrong voice. Whose voice did Michael hear call to him, “Follow me”? To illustrate, the television program "Inside Edition" aired segments of one of Michael’s taped 1996 depositions when he was being sued for child sexual abuse. When questioned about why he surrounded himself with children, Michael replied: " Jesus told us to love the children and be like children, to be youthful, be innocent, be pure and honorable. He was talking to his Apostles and they were fighting over who was the greatest of themselves and He said, 'Whoever humbles themselves like this child is the greatest among me,'” said Jackson. http://www.insideedition.com/storyprint.aspx?SpecialReportID=3115 Well, dear friend, this certainly
explains Michael’s childish behavior and Neverland Ranch, once upon a
time his home and private amusement park. The ranch is named after
Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan written by
Scottish writer J. M. Barrie. Peter Pan is a mischievous boy who can
fly and magically refuses to grow up and spends his never-ending childhood
adventuring on the small island of Neverland: as the leader of his gang
the Lost Boys interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies, and
pirates; and from time to time meeting ordinary children from the
world outside. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan
Walt Disney Animated Classics also made a movie about Peter Pan in
1953. Sadly, it appears that over the years Michael was getting
plastic surgery to look like the animated Peter Pan. http://images.easyart.com/i/prints/rw/lg/1/3/Disney-Peter-Pan-135870.jpg But,
getting back to Michael's interpretation of Jesus' Words, Did Michael hear the voice of a guru or other spiritualist? Did Michael hear the voice of a demon? Did Michael hear the voice of a friend or relative? Or did Michael hear his own voice? Did Michael hear his own voice so he could cling to his own selfish interpretation? If so, what a deadly mistake! What foolish pride! “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). I have never heard anyone interpret the Words of Christ “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me” to mean we should surround ourselves with children, act youthful, and never grow up. Besides, Michael's behavior was childish, not youthful. In a 2003 television documentary, Jackson told interviewer Martin Bashir, "I am Peter Pan". Bashir said, "No, you're Michael Jackson". Jackson then stated, "I'm Peter Pan in my heart". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puer_aeternus This is childish. This is silly. This is a false and absurd interpretation of Jesus' Words. Remember Michael's words? "Jesus told us to love the children and be like children, to be youthful, be innocent, be pure and honorable." "Honorable" is not a childlike characteristic. Honorable means honest. Honorable means showing honor or respect. Honorable means worthy of honor. Again, this not a childlike characteristic of children. Of course, we know the Truth: Jesus was teaching us to bring children to Him beginning in their early infancy: baptism, teaching at home and Sunday school, and so forth. Christian education begins at birth. Parents must bring children to Jesus through Bible study and worship at home. And when Jesus said: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein”; He was not talking about acting childish or youthful. (See Matthew 18: 1-6; 19:13-15; Mark 10: 13-16; Luke 18:15-17). Jesus meant that we must be pure, trusting, and simple as little children: obeying our heavenly Father so that we shall enter Christ’s kingdom. Simply put, just as children are commanded to honor their father and mother by obeying them; we must honor our heavenly Father by obeying Him. It is our most sacred duty. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:22). Obedience means that we should respond promptly to our Father’s direction and command, without hesitating, or doubting, or arguing. This kind of response forbids independent thinking. We should not think for ourselves. We should trust in the Lord. Why? We are inexperienced and ignorant - exposed to dangers which we do not understand. God leads us in the path of safety and protection. Clearly, obeying God is in our own best interest. Now, if Michael had
continued to read God’s Word, he would have read in Paul’s first
letter to the Corinthians: “When
I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things (I Corinthians. 13:11).
We must continue in God’s Word to know the Truth.
And the Truth shall make us free. then are ye my disciples indeed; And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31, 32 We either hear the voice of Truth, or we hear the voice of lies. If we continue to read the Word of God, we will hear the voice of Truth. Jesus says, “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). Unfortunately, Michael Jackson made a deadly mistake: he heard the wrong voice. Michael heard a voice out of the darkness call to him, “Follow me.” And that voice led him down a dark path of destruction. His misinterpretation of Christ’s Words eventually led to Michael being accused of child sexual abuse. And that led to his ruin: physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and spiritually. Oh, how tragic! My dear friend, in this
world, there are many voices: a Babel of truth and lies. And many false
religious leaders shout to drown out the Lord’s voice so we
cannot hear Him. Others
imitate Christ’s voice to deceive us.
But true believers hear the voice of Jesus in the noisy, babbling
crowd; they recognize His voice as the Son of God and their Saviour. “I am the good shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:14). Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, calls to His own sheep, separates them from those that do not belong to Him, and leads them forth to green pastures and beside the still waters (Psalm 23). The Good Shepherd feeds and protects His sheep. The Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness. The Shepherd teaches us in John 10: 3 To
him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his
own sheep by name and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger
will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice
of strangers. Notice that the Good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name! He knows the name of each true believer. And He calls them by name as He leads them. And notice that the sheep that know their Shepherd’s voice, will not listen to the voice of another. “And a stranger will they by no means follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:5). The sheep don’t just turn a deaf ear to the stranger. They flee from the stranger! What about you, my dear friend? Whose voice do you hear and obey? Do you hear and obey the voice of the Good Shepherd, or do you hear and obey the voice of Rick Warren and other false shepherds disguised as Christians? Do you hear and obey the voice of Truth, or do you hear and obey the voice of false prophets and false preachers? Do you hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, or do you hear and obey the voice of gurus and spiritualists? Do you hear and obey the voice of the Lord, or do you hear and obey your own voice? Whose voice do you hear and obey? Michael Jackson made a deadly mistake: he heard and obeyed a voice out of the darkness calling him, “Follow me.” And it led him down a dark path of destruction. O dear friend, hear the voice of the Lord calling you: “Follow Me.”
____________________ Words of Christ in red.
See also the following messages:
"Michael Jackson is Our Brother" http://libertyadvocate.com/message3.htm
"Feed My Sheep" http://libertyadvocate.com/tidings%205.htm
Liberty Advocate July 2009
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