It's true that we do not want to veer too far away from the overall discussion, but at the same time, we have to keep in mind that trying to have an in-depth discussion about someone as spiritual as Michael Jackson, without also discussing God's presence in his life, is like trying to make a cake without flour. The main ingredient will be missing. The main ingredient in this case is God. Omitting Him, or The Word, will cause us to only skim the surface of the world's most famous entertainer who was far deeper than some even realized.
Let's look back for a sec to see just how much he was starting to lean on his spirituality as a means for coping with the things that he was being put through.
Like, if we were to listen to "Off The Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad," in that exact order, we will notice that he was having a lot of fun while recording his music. But, there is still that one song that was placed at the end of his "Bad" album that shows he was getting fed up with being mocked and ridiculed. That song is "Leave Me Alone." In it he said, "'Cause there's a time when you're right and you know you must fight."
With this line he was trying to tell the mockers early on that he was eventually going to fight back. With the video that goes along with the song, he was letting them know that he was eventually going to stand up.
There is a part in the video that shows a roller coaster ride that was built directly over him at an amusement park. The amusement park also has a sideshow called the Laughing Caller and it includes a show with him dancing on stage side by side with the elephant man. After the video shows him doing this, it goes back to showing him with the roller coaster built over him like he's a part of the main attraction there. Notice that at this point he uses his hand to show he is going to stand up on the count of four. When he stands up, the roller coaster ride comes crashing down and everything at the amusement park is completely destroyed along with it. The last thing that he does in the video after standing up, is look upward towards God. After this, the video ends. Watch and you will see what he was saying.
"Leave Me Alone"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crbFmpezO4A
From the song "Leave Me Alone" going forward, he started routinely using spiritual terms while recording his albums. Below are lines from songs that are on his "Dangerous" album on up to "Thriller25" that will reveal this.
DANGEROUS
Who Is It
* Someone hurt my soul now
* I pray this punishment would have mercy on me
Jam
* False prophets cry of doom
* She pray to God, to Buddha
Heal The World
* This world is Heavenly
* Be God's glow
* See the nations turn their swords into plowshares
Black Or White
* I am tired of this devil
Will You Be There
* Hold me like the River Jordan
* A man should be faithful
* I will feel blessed
* In my trials and my tribulations
Dangerous
* For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb and her mouth was smoother than oil
Keep The Faith
* Just keep your eyes on the prize
* Keep the faith
Someone Put Your Hand Out
* The truth is that I'm longing for love that's so divine
* When we pray will you promise me that you'll always stay
HISTORY
You Are Not Alone
* I can hear your prayers. Your burden I will bear.
Scream
* Oh Father, please have mercy 'cause I just can't take it
They Don't Care About Us
* Oh for God's sake. I look to Heaven to fulfill its prophecy. Set me free
Stranger In Moscow
* Armageddon of the brain
INVINCIBLE
Speechless
* My head's spinning like a carousel, so silently I pray
* Nothing's real, but all is possible if God is on my side
Don't Walk Away
* Should I get down on my knees and pray
THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION
The Way You Love Me
* I thank the Heavens above that I met you
We've Had Enough
* Deep in my soul, baby
* Just let God decide
THRILLER 25
For All Time (w/new bridge)
* Somebody once said, it's the soul that matters
* Oh, and on these quiet days where souls embrace so silently
All of the above songs, starting from his "Dangerous" album on through to "Thriller 25," shows MJ started leaning on his spirituality to deal with his dilemmas and it made absolute sense for him to do this.
Seeing that he started looking to God for help, and from hearing him say during interviews that he believes in the Bible, he was most likely very familiar with Ephesians 6:11-13.
Ephesians 6:11-13
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Now, look back again at what he said in "Leave Me Alone." He said "'Cause there's a time when you're right and you know you must fight."
Doesn't this picture show he meant what he said?
What is MJ singing in the first part of "This Is It?" He is singing the words, "This is it. Here I stand." And this is a song that came out after he fought a grueling court battle. A court battle that he won after he finally decided it was time to fully stand up.
Ephesians 6:13 says...
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
:yes:
Another Bible passage that can be applied to MJ's life is this one.
Proverbs 24:16
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
The majority of the madness that MJ was forced to go through, starting from 1993 on up to the trial of '03-'05, was a direct result of the lie that was told by Evan Chandler. Notice that although both MJ and Evan passed away in 2009, MJ is still rising even though he is gone, and it started well before he passed away. A sign of this is all of the positive things that started occurring in his life on up to "This Is It." Things like selling out fifty concerts. Winning the trial. Being given seven awards by the Guinness Book of World Records. Receiving the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards in 2006 and all of the other wonderful things that were done to show an appreciation for his greatness and his kindness. Many people are still doing beautiful tributes to him because he worked very hard to bring joy into the lives of so many people around the world. He never stopped spreading a message of love. He's doing it in “This Is It.” He was doing it starting from the very beginning of his professional career. For forty years as a professional recording artist he sent beautiful music, and many other things, out into the world. He used his strength, fame and wealth in a very positive way. He brought smiles to the faces of countless people. Evan, who had a profession as a dentist, decided he would rather cause many people to frown, and because of this, he ended up destroying his own livelihood. His life never turned around after carrying out his plot to destroy MJ for monetary gain and all of this is proving that Proverbs 24:16 is true.
So, although the love story continues as the mystery unfolds, there are still many spiritual things about MJ to be told. The spiritual side of him is still bringing forth the fruits of his labor.
And because of this beautiful occurrence, the world is still celebrating the life that he lived.
