With all the hoopla and speculation in the US and world media concerning Michael Jackson and the suddenness of his death, it is past time for someone to honor Michael for what God was able to achieve during his lifetime; as anybody with a spiritual eye, spiritual ear, and a heart for the things of God—much more the spiritual perception required of a prophet—should acknowledge that it was God who was honoring Michael in his home going … ”Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of His saints (Psalms 116:15)”, and “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32).”

A billion people attended Michael’s celebration by television and internet…a scale not even remotely achieved as a result of the life of any other individual that has ever lived.  [How many people do you expect to attend your funeral??]  These kinds of numbers could never have been reached except by the direct intervention of God.  If, then, this is the result of God’s intervention—why would the Lord single out Michael Jackson for such an honor? … Because Michael Jackson took the sound of worship to the world.

In our era of Divine revelation, God reintroduced the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the prophetic in the Los Angeles Azusa Street revival of 1906.  Between 1900 and 1906 there had been between three and four thousand African American citizens of the United States lynched for no other reason than they were black.  It was in this setting that the Lord called out a partially blind black man, William Joseph Seymour, to reveal to him a much deeper revelation of the will, work, and ways of the Holy Spirit; and to resurrect the days of Pentecost back into the Body of Christ.  Some of those who received this renewal of Pentecost included F. F. Bosworth, John G. Lake, E. W. Kenyon and a host of others.  

Sadly, Azusa Street lasted only three years until 1909.  The Church of God in Christ was formed out of Azusa Street in 1907.  However, following the crowning of Jack Johnson, the audacious black heavyweight champion (1908-1915), much of white America became enraged over Johnson’s interracial cavaliering and marriage to a white woman.  Subsequently, whites pulled out of the Church of God in Christ (which became an all black denomination); and the all white denominations of the Assemblies of God (1914), United Pentecostal Church (1914), and Pentecostal Church of God (1919) were founded outside of God’s perfect will.

God’s plan for American worship—and through America the worship of the world—now had to be put on hold by the Lord for an entire century!  Why?  Because the sounds of worship of Pentecost that was in the heart of God that He intended to accompany the revelation in the Word that was to be preached and taken to much of the world by white Pentecostals—including Africa—these sounds were in the African American part of Azusa Street that the Lord’s white children refused to worship with. 

God is now in a box—but Jesus, as head of the church, will never be defeated in any of His desires for His Body.  Since He could not impart this new sound of worship to all races of his people within the context of corporate worship in the fellowships that were to be established by those who experienced Azusa Street, God’s only recourse was to teach this new sound (and the coming worship in dance) to America through secular music.  With the great tabernacles and cathedrals of white Pentecost closed to God both racially and musically, the Lord has had to go out into the hedges and highways; the dance halls and night clubs; saloons and bars; 78’s and CD’s; 45’s, 8-tracks and cassettes; MTV, soul radio, country music, and the top 40 in order to teach reluctant Pentecost the sounds of worship.

You doubt my words?  Simply replay the sounds of worship in white Pentecost as compared to black Pentecost from 30, 40, 50, and 60 years back; and listen to the progression in and merging of the “sounds” of white and black Pentecostals.  This ‘ear test’ will indisputably establish the results of a century-long move of the Spirit: which was jump-started during the big band era. 

Since the merging of these sounds were not “mixed” in corporate worship because of segregated Sunday mornings, white Pentecost could have only learned these new sounds from secular music, during the “finger-poppin” days of individual musicians, singers, and preachers before coming to the Lord.  Over a century, God has been quietly infecting the world and all of Pentecost with the sounds of the masters, such as:  Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, T-Bone Walker, BB King, Charles Brown, Sam Cook, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown, to mention only a few—from Motown to Memphis, and out to Los Angeles.  For anyone who can hear the “sound of worship”, the sounds of all of these innovators can be heard today’s Pentecostal music.  [I didn’t mention Aretha Franklin because Aretha only sings “gospel”, irrespective of the lyrics of any song that she may sing at any time or location...including President Obama’s inauguration.]

But as to Michael Jackson, Michael was only one of these masters which God was able to take directly across every racial barrier in the world for 40 years [a complete Bible ministry]; and the Lord has honored Michael for his willingness to go into all the world with the unsurpassed excellence of his gift.  [Preachers could learn a lot about excellence in ministry from Michael Jackson.]

Which of you is willing to get into David’s face about Bathsheba; or worse Uriah; or even worse his numbering the people from which 70,000 died (1 Chron. 21:14)?  But God, who is rich in mercy, caused both Solomon and Nathan (each sons of David and Bathsheba) to be in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:6; Luke 3:31).  Put any sins you think Michael may have committed in the same place you want God to put the sins you know that you have committed:  into a sea of forgetfulness…as far as the East is from the West (Micah 7:19; Psalms 103:12); and by-the-way East and West never meet.  Besides this:

Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth.  Yea, he shall be holden up:  for God is able to make him stand (1 Cor.  14:4).

It is also noteworthy that of all of these pioneering musical virtuosos, only BB King is still alive with us; and  BB, unquestionably, is the professor of every guitar player in Pentecost…directly or indirectly.

FROM AZUSA STREET TO TODAY

Rejected at the Azusa Street revival—during an era of institutionalized segregation, racism, and overt and covert discrimination in their many, many manifestations; another 50 years of lynching; and Jim Crow (separate but equal):  the American way that led to the United States’ Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s—God raised up an eloquent preacher with a God-given dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a dream by which God could also infect a nation.

Although Dr. King did not understand the spiritual laws of faith (Mark 11:22-24) in the way they are taught in many of the great Pentecostal churches of today, nevertheless in faith he daily executed these spiritual laws (seeing, believing, speaking and possessing) with the precision of the finish carpenter of Nazareth; and posthumously received the harvest of his “I Have A Dream” speech in the election of Barak Obama.

Where were the prophets of God with their perception from the Spirit of God concerning what the Lord was actually doing in the recent American election; and why was the anointing of God was so heavily on Barack Obama (easily seen by anybody willing to just look at and listen to the man…irrespective of one’s political persuasion)?  Politics and prophets don’t mix.  One did not even have to be a prophet to perceive that God was up to something when Mr. Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last summer was 40 years—to the day—from Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.  And there were many other signposts along the way that should have been easily seen by the watchers in the land.

We all can miss it; I know I do. But it seems that these same prophets that lined up against the President in his campaign have lined up again with the prognosticators in the media concerning the death of Michael Jackson [whose musical commission came in 1969—one year after the assassination of Martin Luther King].  Neither do they apparently have a clue as to what God has had to do, and has been doing, through secular music in race relations for the past century.  Nor do they seem to see any significance in our President’s inauguration 100 years after the close of Azusa Street.  But, isn’t that what prophets are for—to articulate the heart of God to the people?—because all of these events are directly connected.  

GOD HAS SOWN THE LIFE OF MICHAEL JACKSON

Jesus said concerning Himself, “Except a corn [grain] of wheat fall to the grown and die, it abideth alone:  but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).  God has sown the life of Michael Jackson…and Jesus sows nothing except He expects to receive a bountiful harvest…a hundredfold, even to the return of the 5000, times a thousand (Matt. 12:23; 15:21; Deut. 1:11).

Because the Jackson brothers and sisters now want to perform, I expect that the 50-city tour that Michael had contracted for will be expanded throughout the world; and the whole world will be trying to do the “Michael Jackson” and his moonwalk.  This dancing is already anointed—in fact, Fred Astaire said of Michael Jackson that he is the greatest dancer that has ever lived.  [The King of Pop’s dancing was directly inspired when he was five by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, who prior to Michael was the hardest working man in show business with the then fastest feet.] 

Michael’s dancing is already partially sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose); but it is not yet housed where God intends for it to be housed—in His church.  But, when the explosion of young people across the world that are about to come to Jesus actually do come into the church—and bring their dancing with them [and this is a reminder to the prophets]—this manifestation of God will not be the “world” invading the church:  but a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit to bring back into the church what was separated from Pentecost by the formation of denominations along racial lines following Azusa Street.  I also prophesy that when the art-form know as “blues” hits the church in its fullness, that it will be accompanied by signs, wonders, and notable miracles not yet seen in corporate worship in the  history of the church.

As to the personal legacy of the greatest entertainer that has ever lived, Michael truly was and is “The Man In The Mirror”—the mirror of how frail we all are.  May our lives begin to approach the countless blessings that his life had on the lives of hundreds of millions, even into the billions, of people alive in the earth today.  (Michael, also, during his lifetime gave over $300,000,000 to charity—it was his tithe.  How much have you given in tithes, offerings, or almsdeeds?  Just a thought.)

Finally, it is way past time for the Church and Christian recording industry to honor BB King for his immeasurable contribution to worship and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—while he is yet alive and still performing—and not after he is dead.  One or more of you reading this article can make this happen.  “Be obedient”, saith the Lord.

Below are some Michael Jackson links; and at the bottom is a relevant prophetic word that the Lord gave me back in 2004.

WALTER JAMES TAYLOR

taylor@whattimeitis.org             https://whattimeitis.org

Michael Jackson Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ane6VJGlIMs    “Who’s Loving You”  [Jackson 5 – (Smoky Robinson tune) – Ed Sullivan Show]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzHJyKkEOHQ&feature=related    Daughter’s Tribute…”The best father in the world…I love you”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtGD6t75HS8    The Man In The Mirror

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dDTxbpwBk&feature=related    We Are The World