Worshipping the king

I want my blog to be uplifting and encouraging. I want my blog to make you smile or make you dig deeper...self-examine. But every now and then, I've just got to use it to get something off my chest.

This is one of those times.

First let me begin by saying that my heart goes out to this particular family. No parent should have to bury a child, no matter how old that child is.

Today a son, a brother, a dad is being laid to rest....and a family is hurting.

BUT......

Michael Jackson was just a man.

A talented man, yes..but just a man, and the media is making a circus out of this man's death.

The public is showing us what idol worship truly looks like.

For a week now, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen clips of the covered body of Michael Jackson being loaded up. I've watched people sobbing, dancing, screaming and laughing.

Then I read in the paper yesterday that over 1.6 million people are waiting with baited breath to see if they are one of the "lucky" winners to get one of the 17,000 (or there about) tickets to the memorial service of Michael Jackson.

Hold up.

Again I say, this was a man. Just a man.

I find myself asking the question: If, when we turned on the news this evening, or read our paper and saw this headline, what would the reaction be?

Meet Jesus!! Only 17,000 lucky winners!! Register for your chance now!!

I have to wonder if the media would be showing people out of their minds trying to acquire one of these tickets. Would people be dancing in the street because they were going to get to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity? Would people be crying and screaming and losing control of all their emotions?

Would the media make this a top priority story?

Would Hollywood entertainers be doing tributes on stage to Jesus and the life He lived and gave up for us?

Haven't seen it happen yet.

Here's the problem.

Over 2,000 years ago a Man gave His life for me, you and every single human that ever was or ever will be. He did this willingly, selflessly.

Meeting Him is as easy as confessing our sins, repenting of those sins and committing our lives to Him.

And the thing of it is...there can be far more than "17,000 lucky winners".

And yet....a mere human gets more applause and more recognition. Today every local news station is going to be covering this service and all across the world those that weren't one of the lucky winners will be glued to their tv sets to watch the final goodbyes to the "king of pop".

Yet our churches, who are trying to share the news of a Man who gave up His own life so we could live forever, can't even fill up the pews in their buildings on any given Sunday morning.

Folks, something is wrong here.

I, for one, won't have the tv on today. I won't be stopping my life to watch people idolize a man that wouldn't give most of them the time of day.

A day of celebration?? No...I don't think so.

A day of sadness?? Yes...sadness at the fact that those who are idolizing Michael Jackson may never realize Who the true King is.....

"You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself and idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God Who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods."
Exodus 20: 3-5a, NLT