New Hope Baptist Church~ Pastor Joe A. Carter
This Baptist to the bone girl had to tune in Saturday as "Momma Houston" decided it was time to take the world to church Saturday. I grew up in the 80's so naturally like all other girls at that time I was captured by the beauty and talent of Whitney Houston.
I had to see just what a "Hollywood To Do" would look like being held in a Baptist Church. And a four hour long service proved it truly was a Baptist service. LOL Whitney~ known as Nippy ~ ran the isles of New Hope Baptist Church as a child. Momma Houston raised her children with much love in a strict Baptist home. The family faithfully attended here and this was their home church. The Houstons call this their church~ to this day~ even though they moved away. This church preaches salvation by grace and eternal security. Whitney by her words accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. She grew up learning to sing here in the choir. Where did it go wrong?
Pastor Winans' message about setting priorities and not trying to serve two masters was very good. I was impressed by the message that was delivered. Now please hear me~ I am not being pharisaical here. By evidence it appears not many ( if any) can handle this type of fame.
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
You see even when we have Jesus living in our hearts we are still tempted by all this world has to offer. This world's system and the god it serves will use and abuse and leave us broken. What a tragic end to a little Baptist girl who by her own words repeatedly said she loved Jesus ~ her Lord and Saviour.
My heart was saddened by the tragic way her life ended and the pressures that led her to drugs and alcohol. The demons in the bottle~ popping pills or shooting or snorting up the world's drugs are not for a child of God. Nothing good comes from the bottle in moderation or excess. It is the world's kool-aid that leads to death and destruction. That demon in the bottle destroyed my father and all his family. This issue hits home for me. I hate seeing Christians buying into this moderation thing. It will always bite in the end just as the Bible says in Proverbs.
Proverbs 23:31-32 (KJV)
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
I shed a tear or two for the heartache of such a talented Child of God and can't help but wonder what could have been if Whitney had never gone down the road of fame. What could she have done for the cause of Christ with all that talent? What if "Momma Houston" would have kept her family in church or took the world back to church a little sooner?
When death comes to call money and fame mean nothing. As my prayers have gone up for this family I am reminded that ~"Only Jesus Can Satisfy My Soul." Let us all remember that the choices we make have a huge impact on others. Our decisions will point others to God or away from God. As a pastor stated Saturday before the funeral~ "We have all checked into this world as we check into a hotel but one day we will all be checking out." The choices we make decide how we will check out.
How I live today will decide what kind of legacy I leave for those I leave behind when it is time for me to check out. Today each step I make ~ each decision I make is creating that legacy.
I truly believe that we all need to take the world back to church ~
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
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