Believe it or not, I do have an opinion on the matter. But you'll have to read Jason Boyett's piece on The Daily Beast to find out what it is.
Is Michael Jackson in Heaven?
Friday July 10, 2009
Categories: music
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About The New Christians
Tony Jones is the author of many books, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life. He is a leader in the emergent church movement and a renowned expert on postmodern theology and the American church landscape.
Find out more about Tony, his books, and his speaking schedule at his website.
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I can't believe we're even having this discussion. Apparently being rich, talented, and famous is not only enough to push you to the forefront of world events, it also makes you the centerpiece of faith and theology as well. I saw very little to "celebrate" in his life, aside from his entertainment achievements. He was clearly a sad, wandering and tragic individual. The best religious lesson we can take from his life is to not be like him, and to not let fame/fortune cloud our discernment of human beings.
And let me add to all of you who seem to "know" if someone is/isn't qualified for heaven. Jesus can say who is/is not in heaven. But I'm not Jesus. I think we have a far greater probability to identify who IS in heaven than who is not. But at the end of the day, such judgments by human beings are opinions. They are not and cannot be definitive.
So why are we even trying to find an "answer" to this question?
It takes more than just believing there is a God to secure your salvation. The bible says that even the demons in hell believe there is a God, and yet, they will not be saved. The answer is in Romans 10:9-10 which says: "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Salvation comes through believing that Jesus is the Son of God and confessing Him as Lord and Savior, of your life. So if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and rose again, you can know for sure that you'll go to heaven. If you pray this Prayer and mean it with your heart, you will be saved and know that you have eternal life. PRAY THIS PRAYER: "GOD IN HEAVEN, I KNOW I'M A SINNER AND I NEED YOUR HELP. I BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR SON, THAT HE DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. JESUS, RIGHT NOW I OPEN MY HEART AND INVITE YOU TO COME IN. MAKE YOURSELF REAL TO ME. TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE. KEEP ME FROM EVIL AND MAKE ME THE PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE. BE MY LORD AND SAVIOR. AMEN" PRAISE GOD, JESUS
I just thought the article above had an interesting perspective on prayer.
Where are you getting your facts? How does anyone know that Michael Jackson did confess Jesus Christ before his death? If he did that is great news. How can we be sure?
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