MUS:Music and the New Age  by Joseph Schimmel 3/88

   Michael Jackson, a best-selling singer, songwriter, producer, movie
star and dancer, is the uncontested, outstanding male recording star of
the 80's. In February of 1984 he was awarded an unprecedented eight
Grammy awards, a feat never before accomplished in Grammy history. At
that point his album Thriller had become the biggest selling solo album
ever, an album that covered everything from sexual fantasy to demon
possession. Michael Jackson's life offstage has been no less fantastic
than his life onstage. Throughout the years he has reportedly done
everything from collecting mannequins and attempting to purchase the
bone of the Elephant an to spending part of his life living in a
plastic bubble. Jackson has not only led much of the already lost world
further from the truth and deeper into the fantasy explosion, but has
become one of the most influential proponents of New Age ideas in the
last days.

   A favorite even among some deluded Christians, Jackson believes he
is a prophet sent forth as a messenger to the children of the world. He
claims I worry about the children, all my children all over the world,
I live for them...I was sent forth for the world, for the children, but
have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now. Michael Jackson
attributes his creative ability to the "force within" and reveals that
his songs are given to him by way of revelation through "dreams" after
being assembled in another realm. He says, the whole thing is strange,
you hear the words, everything is right there in front of your face,
and you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry, I just didn't write this.' Its
there already. I feel that somewhere, someplace, it's all been done,
and I'm the courier bringing it into the world. The Word of God reveals
three different sources of dreams: natural (Ecc. 5:3); divine (Matt.
1:20); and evil (Jer. 23:32; 27:9, Zech. 10:2). Therefore the Lord
instructs us to test those who claim revelation as a "dreamer of
dreams" (Deut. 13:1-5) and if they speak not according to this Word it
is because there is no light in them (Isa. 8:20).

   Sadly, the closest Michael Jackson gets to the Word of God in his
lyrics is to promote as truth the very lie God reveals will cause many
to be damned (2 Thess. 2:9-11). His song We Are The World was sung by
an all- star line-up of over 40 singers ranging from Kenny Rogers to
Cyndi Lauper. It was first done for famine relief in Africa and ended
up being sung as an anthem during Hands Across America. the message
Michael brings to his children is that we are all a part of God's great
big family and that the world must come together as one...we're saving
our own lives. The song goes on to say, as God has shown us by turning
stones to bread so we all must lend a helping hand. Compared with Matt.
4:1-5 it does not take much discernment to detect the spirit behind the
song. The co-writer of the song, Lionel Richie, is described as being
"in shock" as to how fast Michael Jackson wrote the music. Interesting
the book by the same title describes the lyrics as being "summoned."

   In Jackson's song Another Part of Me from his latest album Bad he
sings:

   We're takin over, we have the truth, this is the mission, to see it
through...this is our planet...and this is our message to you. The
planets are linin' up, we're bringin' brighter days, they're allin line
waiting for you...We're coming together...

   This song parallels the New Age Harmonic convergence claim that our
planet was finding it s rightful alignment in the "galactic community"
and summoning the New Age. Jackson performs this song, in a short movie
played at Disneyland where he is seen as a savior transforming a
decadent society into a paradise with his magic power.

   This is not to be taken lightly in that his message is drummed into
the hearts and minds of millions via his music and as early as 1984 it
was being reported that a group had emerged claiming he is the "Messiah
returned" and the "Archangel Michael."

   If we as discerning Christians reject sitting under the teachings of
other false teachers, it is my prayer to God that all would reject the
musical ministry of Michael Jackson.

   SCRIPTURES: God, in His Word, warns and alerts us concerning
spiritual deception in the last days (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 23-26, 2 Thess.
2:3-12, 1 Tim. 4:1-3, 2 Tim. 3:8, 13-14, 4:1-5, Rev. 13:1-18, 16:13-15).

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