Miss Chandler writes for the New Orleans Baptist Examiner. She published this article a few days ago. It is still available on her webpage. Someone needed to say what she has said instead of everyone acting like MJ was a hero. He was a very talented man with a lot of serious problems and for some reason everyone wanted to ignore his psychological problems because of his talent. Ignoring his obvious problems and hailing him as a hero does nothing for our youth. I appreciate her boldness as a christian to stand up for her beliefs. I also appreciate the fact that even though she is a black woman she didn't feel because of that she had to follow what everyone else was doing, instead she stood her ground as a christian. I say 2 kudo's to Miss Chandler, a mighty warrior of God in my opinion.
Below is her article:
Christians ask whether Michael Jackson was savedJuly 8, 11:35 AM
Are you feeling a bit out of the loop during all of the hoopla over the life and legend of Michael Jackson?Perhaps like me, in the midst of a world extolling him for his musical contributions, you're simply concerned that he might not have known Jesus as his personal savior.Soon after Jackson's untimely death, word circulated that he prayed the sinner's prayer with Andrae and Sandra Crouch, who quickly denied the rumors. www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09070001.htm
While we don't know whether Jackson made a last-minute confession, as did the thief on the cross, we know his life showed little or no evidence of a personal relationship with Jesus. As Christians, we have little for which to memorialize him. Instead, we are troubled by his endless plastic surgeries and his propensity to tuck little boys into his Neverland Ranch bed for the night . www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1908637,00.html
On the day of his televised memorial, a family member judged that I did not understand the love of God because I showed no interest in the service. Instead, I was busy writing."Not interested.How could you not be interested?" she asked."He did not live a Christian life," I responded. "When you fall in love with the Lord, you'll understand."Needless to say, the family member did not understand, and continued to proclaim this as evidence of why she didn't like me.Actually, I had no idea she disliked me. But because I held no respect for Jackson's work, she felt emboldened to voice her displeasure.
Keenly aware of the gulf Michael Jackson's memorial places between me as a Christian and the world in which I live, I recalled Jesus' warning that the world would hate those of us who follow him."If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."(John 15: 18 - 19 NIV*)
The family member, some 30 years my junior was concerned that I did not share her opinion of the pop star. My only concern was whether he was saved.
Perhaps you've had a similar experience, if not during the Jackson memorial publicity, then at another time in your life.God's word encourages us to stand firm in our faith and in our hope that evangelism will reach the uttermost parts of the earth.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV)(Scripture marked NIV is from the New International Version.)
Author: Diana Chandler
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