American Tract

Society

CBN.com -- You’d think Simon Cowell would be used to it by now.

But the caustic American Idol judge was railing again about the “tone-deaf” auditioners that he, along with Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, is forced to endure.

“If you had lived 2,000 years ago and sung like that, I think they would have stoned you.”

or

“And THAT is what you think we are looking for?”

or

“You have wasted my time— You have wasted everybody’s time.”

The television show American Idol all starts with 80,000 hopefuls waiting in line for days. It ends each season with ONE person being crowned before 30 million viewers as the next American Idol. All those rejections...all that pain (for singer and audience alike) seem like a high price to pay for a chance at “celebrity/immortality.”

A recent AP news article lamented for the rejected masses that “Every good soul deserves a place in television heaven.” But as we all know, “TV heaven” is a place reserved for the talented, the attractive, the lucky few who somehow manage to squeak in. Fortunately for the rest of us, the REAL heaven is not like that. There are plenty of openings. In fact, an infinite number.

To make it into the real heaven, you need no talent, no skills or special looks. All you need is to believe that Jesus is God and that He performed the greatest act in history when He died on a cross and rose again. Does that sound ridiculous? How ridiculous is it to take a one-in-80,000 chance to become an “idol” and most likely end up just making a fool of yourself on TV?

Some of the reactions from rejected hopefuls in the show have been:

“I tried my best.”

or

“I’m a good person.”

Those are surely true statements, but sincerity did not win them the prize. The truth is, in the real heaven your best is nowhere near good enough for entrance either. And thank goodness it doesn’t have to be! (Neither is your worst ever bad enough to keep you out.)

This concept is clearly stated in the Bible:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

There is only One who was ever good enough to make the cut, and He got into heaven first and then paid your entrance fee too. (He was related to the show’s “Producer.”)

puts it this way:
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

agrees:
Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Once forgiven, you stand in a new relationship with God, and the gap between you and Him is removed forever. You can now enjoy full communion with your Creator. Jesus Christ becomes not only your Savior, but your Idol as well. Make Him so — and you will not need to prove yourself to God again. If you want to begin a new relationship with God right now, you can tell Him so through prayer. Prayer is simply a way of talking to Him:

Dear Lord, I come before You on the stage of my life today. I have no act good enough to perform that would get me into heaven. I believe that Jesus is the only One capable, and that He performed the greatest act in history to get me in too when He died and rose again. I believe that now, and I believe He is Your Son. As You accept me today, I will be Your fan and follow You forever. Amen.

Used with the permission of the American Tract Society.