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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Excellent post! I also watched the service. I hadn't planned on watching, but when I saw it was airing on FOX & CNN I was hooked. Throughout the 4 hours I was blessed by the spoken Word & music that gave put God in the spotlight. My hope & prayer is that people who were watching can stop, evaluate their life, and turn to God. This 'Baptist to the bone' girl was amazed that the major cable news agencies were willing to air the entire service. God works in strange & miraculous ways. This was one of those times.
ReplyDeleteSmiles & blessings,
Carol
I watched the funeral also for the same reasons as you. I didn't expect to be inspired by Pastor Winans at the end. I found myself crying and taking to heart much of what he preached. I'm also a girl from the 80's and I loved Whitney back then and it saddens me how it all ended up. I hope that others who watched were also inspired and will "re-prioritize: their lives after hearing the sermon.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Monday.
Jackie
Well said Jackie.
ReplyDeleteI guess the first thing I want to say is - I'm glad you're back!! I've missed reading your blogs the past few days and getting my daily dose of Mrs.Carrie. I watched some of the service, but had a hard time understanding the "glamour" of it all. I listened to the sermon, the music and my heart just breaks for her daughter. As you mentioned Mrs. Carrie - sometimes the word "moderation" is like saying we could have eaten half of the apple in the garden of eden. It doesn't make sense to me when something that is clearly not the right path in God's eyes is the one that is always more alluring. At service last night, my pastor was talking about choosing the path that we KNOW will lead us in the right direction for God's glory. We often will choose the path that we believe offers security in this world and not the security, comfort and peace of knowing that we will spend eternity with our Lord. The demons in our hearts and our minds are not always quieted by the "moderation" of alcohol or drugs. But they can be quieted by the love, acceptance and surrender to the love and peace that comes from our Lord. Thank you for your post Mrs. Carrie
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written post. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI loved your art lesson post too!
I have only been able to read posts on my phone and couldn't see your lovely new
look. Very pretty. I almost didn't recognize you!
Have a great week,
Sherry
The Bible says that the ultimate end of sin is death. Sometimes it is literally death of a physical body, but even if it is not physical, it is still death - in spirit, in purpose, in soul (emotions, thoughts and will). I think that sometimes when it is not one of the visible death realities people take it for granted and think that they can carry on doing whatever they're doing. But that is such a sad deception. And whenever it is a physical death, that person can't say, "oops! I shouldn't have done that; I'm sorry." At that point it is over and the tragedy of it breaks my heart. It cannot be undone :(
ReplyDeleteI was a very big Whitney fan; it was so sad to see the first pictures that was circulating to pray for her in her very bad drug abuse condition. Then it was so awesome to hear some of her new music and seeing how her life had seemingly transformed - I thought: WOW! that is a prayer answered; what a testimony, what grace! Next thing I hear the news that she'd passed away. ONLY 48... Very sad, but I am glad for her that she had encountered Jesus - even if she didn't get it perfect after that. Eternity is a very long time.
I watched as well and I agree with every word you've said.
ReplyDeleteSuch a tragedy...heartbreaking. I do bleieve Whitney knew Jesus and I know we can't judge where she is today, but I hope she is with the One she continued to speak of and pray to and read about.