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Just a few days ago the entertainment industry lost one of its brightest stars, Whitney Houston at the young age of 48.
Houston was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time. Her awards include two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards in her lifetime. Houston was also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.
On February 11, she was found dead in a suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, submerged in the bathtub. The cause of death is still being determined.
Few people may know that Whitney Houston was raised a Baptist. She was born in a middle-income neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, the third and youngest child of Army serviceman and entertainment executive John Russell Houston, Jr. and gospel singer Cissy Houston (née Emily Drinkard). Her mother, along with cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all notable figures in the gospel, rhythm and blues, pop, and soul genres.
At the age of 11, Houston began to follow in her mother's footsteps and started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano. Her first solo performance in the church was “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” In addition to her mother, Franklin, and Warwick, Houston was also exposed to the music of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack, most of whom would have an impact on her as a singer and performer.
But as is this case with so many American pop stars, she chose a life of addiction at a young age. She admitted that she began experimenting with drugs during the filming of the movie The Bodyguard in 1992. When filming was finished she began doing hard core drugs like cocaine on a regular basis. It was also during this time that she met her future husband Bobby Brown formerly of the pop star band New Edition, who was also a drug addict himself. What ensued were many years of drug abuse that ruined her vocal chords and ultimately led to her death this past week. She is survived by her only daughter, Bobby Kristina who is 18 and was last seen checking herself into a hospital to deal with the trauma of losing her mother so unexpectantly.
Throughout her career, Houston often spoke of Jesus and her upbringing as a Baptist. Her friends said that before she passed she spoke about looking forward to meeting Jesus in person upon her death. I do not pretend to know when it was that Houston departed from the faith that she was raised with but it undoubtedly happened along the way to fame and fortune that led her to a life of misery and stole her most precious gift – her voice. The Bible talks about a path in life that many people choose that seems right in their own eyes but it ultimately leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).
Life is full of choices. One well known author once said, “In the end, our life will be a sum of our choices.” For Whitney Houston, she made far too many poor choices and reaped the cost at the age of 48.
Just a couple of years ago, Houston said on the Oprah Winfrey show that she began taking drugs not for fun but to mask her pain. It was such a tragic statement that it had me scratching my head as to what pain she was speaking of. But as I thought further, the answer became obvious. When a person is raised with the truth of the gospel and then rejects it, they spend the rest of their lives trying to fill the void that is only satisfied by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Houston, of course, due to her fame and money had the opportunity to fill her life with things that most people can only dream about – a private jet, vacations to the most luxurious vacation spots in the world, access to the drugs of her choice with no limitations. This is why King Solomon who was the riches man to ever walk the earth and denied himself nothing that his eyes laid upon, said in the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” As he looked back over his life, he concluded the book with the following statement, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Just two years ago, the entertainment industry lost pop icon and R&B king Michael Jackson at the age of 50. Jackson, like Houston, also died because of repeated drug abuse.
The story seems all too common in our culture today but it still points us back as believers to the words of Christ in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus is not just offering eternal life but the abundant life right here, right now to all those who will put their faith and trust in Him. Within His commands one finds true liberty and freedom and the blessings of God. I pray if you do not know Him that you come to know the Prince of Peace today (Romans 10:9-10). If you do know him as Savior and Lord of your life, please make it a point to tell others to keep them off the broad road that leads to destruction.
Showing posts with label King Solomon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King Solomon. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, November 26, 2011
As Iron Sharpens Iron
First, I hope all my readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Personally, Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays as it is always so nice to get together with family and friends and enjoy good conversation and delicious food.
Of course, I have to admit that I did watch some football on Thanksgiving. I know none of you are surprised by this but I did want to touch on an interesting comment I heard from Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers whose team was playing against the Baltimore Ravens. Jim’s brother John is the head coach of the Ravens who beat the 49ers on Thanksgiving night. After losing the game to his brother’s team, Jim had this to say during his post-game press conference, “There's a saying that says ‘as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another.’ And let's say my brother, John, is the sharpest iron I've ever encountered.”
Jim Harbaugh didn’t realize that he was not quoting just some saying but the Bible itself. We find the quote in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon, who when he first became king of Israel was visited by God in a dream. God said to Solomon that he could ask of Him anything he wanted and God would grant his request. Solomon asked God for “an understanding heart to judge Your people that I might discern between good and evil” (I Kings 3:9). This request pleased God so much that He said, “Because you have asked for this thing and have not asked for long life for yourself….behold, I have done according to your words, see I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you” (I Kings 3:11-12).
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that were penned by Solomon himself, the wisest man to ever live. They pass on a core of knowledge and experience that God says we must have if we are to live successfully. The proverbs are not mere old sayings that concern people in far-off lands, but universal principles that apply to all people of all times. Of course, we know this is true as Jim Harbaugh used this one in a football setting which I am sure was the furthest thing from Solomon’s mind when he wrote Proverbs 27.
In Proverbs there are many, many statements about how important it is for men and women to have companions. The most significant one is Proverbs 27:17 which Harbaugh quoted as it is basically saying that men help men. They increase their effectiveness and as indicated in this verse they even increase their satisfaction as it shows up on their countenance or facial appearance.
These kinds of thoughts are traced throughout the Bible. For example in the Book of Ecclesiastes, also written by King Solomon, chapter 4 verse 9 states, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.” In other words, two can work harder and earn more than one. And verse 10 of the same chapter says, “If they fall the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falls for he has not another to help him up.” Again, if someone falls and has no companion to help him, he is in trouble.
It is important to remember that true wisdom does not come from educational institutions or old age but from God, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). God offers wisdom to anyone that asks Him. That is a powerful thought to allow to penetrate our minds and shape our walk.
I Corinthians 1:25 tells us, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” God’s Word contains His mind and heart. The more we know His Word, the more we will know Him. Might I encourage you to spend some time this holiday weekend getting to know the One who is the source of all wisdom.
****************************************************
"God has many ways that He might use to achieve His ends, but His wisdom determined the best way to accomplish them."
- Samuel Willard
Of course, I have to admit that I did watch some football on Thanksgiving. I know none of you are surprised by this but I did want to touch on an interesting comment I heard from Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers whose team was playing against the Baltimore Ravens. Jim’s brother John is the head coach of the Ravens who beat the 49ers on Thanksgiving night. After losing the game to his brother’s team, Jim had this to say during his post-game press conference, “There's a saying that says ‘as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another.’ And let's say my brother, John, is the sharpest iron I've ever encountered.”
Jim Harbaugh didn’t realize that he was not quoting just some saying but the Bible itself. We find the quote in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon, who when he first became king of Israel was visited by God in a dream. God said to Solomon that he could ask of Him anything he wanted and God would grant his request. Solomon asked God for “an understanding heart to judge Your people that I might discern between good and evil” (I Kings 3:9). This request pleased God so much that He said, “Because you have asked for this thing and have not asked for long life for yourself….behold, I have done according to your words, see I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you” (I Kings 3:11-12).
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that were penned by Solomon himself, the wisest man to ever live. They pass on a core of knowledge and experience that God says we must have if we are to live successfully. The proverbs are not mere old sayings that concern people in far-off lands, but universal principles that apply to all people of all times. Of course, we know this is true as Jim Harbaugh used this one in a football setting which I am sure was the furthest thing from Solomon’s mind when he wrote Proverbs 27.
In Proverbs there are many, many statements about how important it is for men and women to have companions. The most significant one is Proverbs 27:17 which Harbaugh quoted as it is basically saying that men help men. They increase their effectiveness and as indicated in this verse they even increase their satisfaction as it shows up on their countenance or facial appearance.
These kinds of thoughts are traced throughout the Bible. For example in the Book of Ecclesiastes, also written by King Solomon, chapter 4 verse 9 states, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.” In other words, two can work harder and earn more than one. And verse 10 of the same chapter says, “If they fall the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falls for he has not another to help him up.” Again, if someone falls and has no companion to help him, he is in trouble.
It is important to remember that true wisdom does not come from educational institutions or old age but from God, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). God offers wisdom to anyone that asks Him. That is a powerful thought to allow to penetrate our minds and shape our walk.
I Corinthians 1:25 tells us, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” God’s Word contains His mind and heart. The more we know His Word, the more we will know Him. Might I encourage you to spend some time this holiday weekend getting to know the One who is the source of all wisdom.
****************************************************
"God has many ways that He might use to achieve His ends, but His wisdom determined the best way to accomplish them."
- Samuel Willard
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Marriage/Jesus Relationship
Last week I had written a blog about humility as the Lord has been teaching me quite a bit on this subject recently. In fact, just the other day I heard John MacArthur say on the radio that the only people that are able to forgive are humble people. This statement could not be any truer. Forgiveness is impossible if a heart is full of pride. Actually, I would go as far as to say that it is impossible to please God in our daily walk if humility does not permeate our lives and attitude.
With that being said, David Jeremiah has been preaching a series of messages on the Book Song of Solomon. His main theme is marriage, love, and sex as you might suspect if you have ever read the Song of Solomon.
As a quick overview, Song of Solomon has two primary characters or narrators. There is a woman called the Shulamite and a man who is King Solomon. It is a poem that moves the reader from the couple’s courtship to marriage to consummation. Its imagery is powerful and its lyrical content is beautiful.
While there are many wonderful spiritual jewels contained in this short book on marriage and love, I wanted to focus on the one thing that I think makes a marriage all that it is intended to be from God’s point of view. This critical aspect is the relationship of the wife and husband to Jesus Christ. I realize this may seem elementary but as I look at my own marriage, I have come to realize over the years that the most important facet to my overall happiness and contentment is based upon my relationship to the Lord and my husband’s relationship to the Lord. For you see if either my relationship or my husband’s relationship with the Lord is not where it should be then we will not treat each other as the Lord has intended and the Lord says our prayers will be hindered as a result (1 Peter 3:7).
As I mentioned previously, humility is the foundation for all other virtues to flourish in the life of the believer and this is also true in marriage and all of life’s relationships. It is so easy to be offended, isn’t it? Whether it is our spouse, our kids, a co-worker, or a friend. I have found in my own walk that the closer I am to the Lord, the less offenses bother me and the more I am able to focus on the things that the Lord says are most important – loving Him with my heart, mind, and soul and loving my neighbor as myself. It is within the servant’s attitude that we find the abundant life, but so often it is hard to not put ourselves first in everything.
Marriage by nature puts us into subjection to another person as 1 Corinthians 7:4 states, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” Pretty powerful text. But if we are to truly live it then we need to be at the cross daily, realizing who we are before Christ. Otherwise our marriage will begin to come apart at the seams.
It is staggering to think that we have such power when it comes to our spouses but we do. We can either use that inherit power to build them up or tear them down. On this note, a couple of years ago, I heard a speaker at a marriage conference say that God has given us our spouses in order to mold us into the image of His Son. He said this in reference to all the annoying things that we dislike about our spouses that we wish they would change. While the audience chuckled, his point was valid in that the Lord always has the same purpose for us in life as His children and that is to bring us into greater conformity to His Son. What better person to use to accomplish this task than our spouse whom we live with and interact with every day?
My hope and prayer is that my own testimony before the Lord would be an encouragement to my husband in His walk and vice versa. Please feel free to comment to let me know how the Lord is shaping you into a picture of His Son in your relationships.
With that being said, David Jeremiah has been preaching a series of messages on the Book Song of Solomon. His main theme is marriage, love, and sex as you might suspect if you have ever read the Song of Solomon.
As a quick overview, Song of Solomon has two primary characters or narrators. There is a woman called the Shulamite and a man who is King Solomon. It is a poem that moves the reader from the couple’s courtship to marriage to consummation. Its imagery is powerful and its lyrical content is beautiful.
While there are many wonderful spiritual jewels contained in this short book on marriage and love, I wanted to focus on the one thing that I think makes a marriage all that it is intended to be from God’s point of view. This critical aspect is the relationship of the wife and husband to Jesus Christ. I realize this may seem elementary but as I look at my own marriage, I have come to realize over the years that the most important facet to my overall happiness and contentment is based upon my relationship to the Lord and my husband’s relationship to the Lord. For you see if either my relationship or my husband’s relationship with the Lord is not where it should be then we will not treat each other as the Lord has intended and the Lord says our prayers will be hindered as a result (1 Peter 3:7).
As I mentioned previously, humility is the foundation for all other virtues to flourish in the life of the believer and this is also true in marriage and all of life’s relationships. It is so easy to be offended, isn’t it? Whether it is our spouse, our kids, a co-worker, or a friend. I have found in my own walk that the closer I am to the Lord, the less offenses bother me and the more I am able to focus on the things that the Lord says are most important – loving Him with my heart, mind, and soul and loving my neighbor as myself. It is within the servant’s attitude that we find the abundant life, but so often it is hard to not put ourselves first in everything.
Marriage by nature puts us into subjection to another person as 1 Corinthians 7:4 states, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” Pretty powerful text. But if we are to truly live it then we need to be at the cross daily, realizing who we are before Christ. Otherwise our marriage will begin to come apart at the seams.
It is staggering to think that we have such power when it comes to our spouses but we do. We can either use that inherit power to build them up or tear them down. On this note, a couple of years ago, I heard a speaker at a marriage conference say that God has given us our spouses in order to mold us into the image of His Son. He said this in reference to all the annoying things that we dislike about our spouses that we wish they would change. While the audience chuckled, his point was valid in that the Lord always has the same purpose for us in life as His children and that is to bring us into greater conformity to His Son. What better person to use to accomplish this task than our spouse whom we live with and interact with every day?
My hope and prayer is that my own testimony before the Lord would be an encouragement to my husband in His walk and vice versa. Please feel free to comment to let me know how the Lord is shaping you into a picture of His Son in your relationships.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Hope Is a Choice
Dictionary.com defines “hope” as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe or trust. The Christian faith is based on a hope placed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is rooted in the One who called Himself the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end), the Chief Shepherd, the Cornerstone, the Deliverer, the King of Kings, and the Almighty God.
Hebrews 11:1 declares that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (italics are mine). This is not the type of hope the world has when they play the lottery and hope to win, or when they make an investment in the stock market and hope their money will grow and not decrease. No, this hope is much surer than that. The hope the Christian has is established upon the Living God.
Psalm 146 tells us, “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth; The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow.”
For the Christian, our hope is based in a God who created the universe, not in a philosopher or religious leader who has returned to the earth and has no power to help us. Our God promises to defend us, feed us, free us, open our eyes, raise us up, watch over us, and meet us in our loneliness. Who else can make such a claim?
The Scripture states that this life is but a vapor and after death eternity begins. King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king to ever live, said in Ecclesiastes, after having indulged himself in all the world had to offer, (e.g. women, wine, money) that all of it was vanity and the sole purpose of man is to “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
Charles G. Finney, a prominent preacher during the Second Great Awakening, perfectly described the type of hope offered by Jesus Christ and how it is attained, “Many seem to have conceived of Christ as their hope only in His outward relation, that is, as an atoning Savior, as a risen and ascended Savior, but also as a factual, historical, concrete statistic. The indispensable necessity of having Christ within them, ruling in their hearts and establishing His government over their whole being, is a condition of salvation of which they have not thought. Christ cannot be truly and savingly our hope, in any degree further than He is received into, and reigns, in our souls. To hope in merely an outward Christ is to hope in vain.”
In other words, our hope is a choice based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Any other type of hope is only grasping at the wind. This type of saving hope or faith is only for those willing to lay themselves at the foot of cross and present themselves a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) It is within the realm of obedience that faith becomes tangible as we see the hand of God operating in our lives – conforming us to the very image of His Son.
Hope is a choice. Won’t you choose the Living hope today?
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:3-5)
Hebrews 11:1 declares that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (italics are mine). This is not the type of hope the world has when they play the lottery and hope to win, or when they make an investment in the stock market and hope their money will grow and not decrease. No, this hope is much surer than that. The hope the Christian has is established upon the Living God.
Psalm 146 tells us, “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth; The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow.”
For the Christian, our hope is based in a God who created the universe, not in a philosopher or religious leader who has returned to the earth and has no power to help us. Our God promises to defend us, feed us, free us, open our eyes, raise us up, watch over us, and meet us in our loneliness. Who else can make such a claim?
The Scripture states that this life is but a vapor and after death eternity begins. King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king to ever live, said in Ecclesiastes, after having indulged himself in all the world had to offer, (e.g. women, wine, money) that all of it was vanity and the sole purpose of man is to “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
Charles G. Finney, a prominent preacher during the Second Great Awakening, perfectly described the type of hope offered by Jesus Christ and how it is attained, “Many seem to have conceived of Christ as their hope only in His outward relation, that is, as an atoning Savior, as a risen and ascended Savior, but also as a factual, historical, concrete statistic. The indispensable necessity of having Christ within them, ruling in their hearts and establishing His government over their whole being, is a condition of salvation of which they have not thought. Christ cannot be truly and savingly our hope, in any degree further than He is received into, and reigns, in our souls. To hope in merely an outward Christ is to hope in vain.”
In other words, our hope is a choice based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Any other type of hope is only grasping at the wind. This type of saving hope or faith is only for those willing to lay themselves at the foot of cross and present themselves a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) It is within the realm of obedience that faith becomes tangible as we see the hand of God operating in our lives – conforming us to the very image of His Son.
Hope is a choice. Won’t you choose the Living hope today?
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:3-5)
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