Elvis Presley is considered by many to be the greatest cultural icon of the 20th century. “The King”, as he was called, had a famous catchphrase: “Taking care of business”. (He would have a back-up band of the same name). And taking care of business is exactly what he did. His music and movies jettisoned him to unparalleled stardom. He was immensely adored the world over.
For those born after him, it’s nearly impossible to appreciate the popularity experienced by Elvis in his day. In 1991, 14 years after his death, Graceland was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia says “It is still the most-visited privately owned home in America with over 650,000 visitors a year, rivaling publicly owned houses such as Biltmore Estate, Hearst Castle and the White House”.
Carl Hatch and Jack Hyles both said that Elvis told them personally that he was saved as a child. The pull of the world, however, would prove irresistible to Elvis. He found out that celebrities are not immune to drug abuse, depression, dissolution, and divorce. Sadly, at 42, on the cusp of middle age, he died a bloated, broken man - a pathetic contrast of his former self.
Elvis’ death had a strange irony to it. He died while sitting on the toilet in his bathroom reading the book “The Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus”. His girlfriend who found him said, “Slowly opening the door, I peered in and saw Elvis on the floor. I stood paralyzed. Elvis looked as if his entire body had completely frozen in a seated position then fallen forward. His legs were bent, the upper part of his chest and shoulders touched the ground, and his head was slightly turned to the left with his cheek resting on the floor." Elvis was bowed over a book with Jesus’ name on its cover: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” (Phil. 2:10).
Moreover, “The King” got knocked off his throne while “taking care of business”. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh …” (Ps. 2:4). And that’s no laughing matter.
-Pastor Davis
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