This gifted entertainer achieved more worldly success than most of us could even imagine, but he spent much of his time and resources changing himself, physically, emotionally, and in nearly every way possible. His miserable and unfulfilled life certainly illustrates the fact that money cannot buy happiness.

This sad plight befalls many successful celebrities who seem to ‘have it made it’, but continue to chase true happiness and satisfaction that cannot be gained from fame and fortune. It seems that their money becomes a demon that steals happiness and imprisons them in their own private dungeon, rendering their lives, which seem so full, empty and sad.
 

I have seen no evidence to prove or disprove whether Michael Jackson knew and believed ( trusted) Jesus Christ as his Savior. I’ve read that he declared himself to be a Jehovah's Witness, which does not teach that Jesus Christ is the son of God, but, that He was a great prophet. In announcing Michael’s death, his brothers, Jermaine ended his statement with, “Michael, may Allah be with you forever..”, raising further doubt as to Michael’s Christianity. Such uncertainty seems quite common among celebrities.

John Lennon once remarked (to a London newspaper in 1966) that "…Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink ... We're more popular than Jesus now". George Harrison wrote the song, “My Sweet Lord”, which, at first seems to be praising the true Lord, Jesus Christ, but actually praises ‘Lord Krishna’, a Hindu god.

Comedian Bill Mahr constantly castigates all things Christians, and even made a movie ridiculing religion, faith and worship. He believes that we exist by accident, live our lives as we please, die, and return to nothing. God’s word says that knowledge of Him exists in every heart, and evidence is all around us, so there is no excuse for rejecting Him. I pray that Mahr will receive the faith to believe in this life. It will be too late in the next.

It seems that many people who have achieved worldly success and fame, do not see a need to trust in a higher power, or they believe they can pick and choose which higher power they will believe in at a given time. Still others try to give credence to all gods, to cover their bases. The Bible, however, teaches that there is only one name by which we may be saved.

In Matt 29, Christ responds to a rich man who claims to have kept all of the Commandments, and wanted to know how to be saved, “..Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.". Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and, when money, fame, or worldly goods become our God, we cannot humble ourselves and worship the one true God, and serve only Him. It is our not wealth that makes it impossible to enter Heaven, but our attitude toward our wealth.

I pray that Michael Jackson is in Heaven, but, only the Lord knows whether Michael trusted in Him. I would never trade the salvation Jesus Christ paid for with His life for earthly riches.