Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is in trouble. Everyone knew it after her interview on ABC. Some joked about it, laughed, made snide comments... Others wept and prayed.

For those of you who are unaware and/or missed this interview, please check out the transcript for more information.

During that interview, I noticed that a very quick mention indicated that Whitney had hooked up with Perri A. Nixon (formerly "Pebbles", music industry mogul, was married to L.A. Reid and discovered TLC in the early 90's) as a "spiritual counselor". Her website indicates an extremely charismatic ministry with guest preachers that include the controversial Juanita Bynum.

Perhaps Whitney and Perri had a relationship that went way back, or perhaps Whitney saw this as sort of a "quick fix" for her addiction. Either way, I am in disagreement to her approach to treatment... If she were truly serious, with her resources she could easily (and discreetly) check into a rehab center. Her comments during the interview that "...I don't need strangers to come to me and tell me what to do, if me and God can't work this thing out, then nobody can..." I wasn't sure if I thought it admirable or misleading that she expressed a desire to handle this problem by applying a spiritual vs. a secular solution.

Now, she and Bobby recently took a trip to Israel to visit a Hebrew Israelite sect [Note: The Black Hebrew Israelite section will be returning to B.A.M. soon... I plan to specifically profile the most popular sects and detail their beliefs and how they differ from the whole counsel of scripture and the Christian faith - look for it soon!]. The sect that Whitney and Bobby visited reportedly bans followers from eating meat, dairy products and sugar. They also believe in polygamy and ban contraception... Additionally, leaders decide who followers marry.

Whitney appears to be trying to acheive through strict law/discipline what should be produced from a life submitted to Christ by grace through faith. The change that comes with placing faith in Jesus will come from the inside out, not the outside in. I agree with Mart DeHaan's expression of deep concern over the "Torah observant people" within the Messianic Movement:

“I am afraid some Torah-observant people are all too ready to accept a principle Paul rejected. He rejected the idea that law-keeping could be a means of spiritual growth (Galatians 3:1-3). ... I’m convinced that the rediscovery of Torah (Old Testament teaching) can be of great benefit to a church that has forgotten its roots, and to unbelievers who need to see the way in which Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures. But to suggest that Gentile believers in Jesus would be more obedient if they lived like Jewish forefathers (with beards, mezuzahs, phylacteries, kosher diet, Sabbath law, and Festival observance [if not these laws, others that are arbitrarily selected and separated from their punishments]) is to miss the spirit and freedom of the Gospel of Christ. Few things could be worse for the Gospel than to suggest to a Gentile world that to become a more obedient believer in Jesus, you must begin to live outwardly like a Jew. Paul stood against that idea, and we should too.”[1]

I believe that there is nothing too hard for God, and Whitney CAN overcome her drug addiction through spiritual means... The question remains though (as I am predicting the Black Hebrews won't be she and Bobby's last stop), what God/Jesus/Eastern Philosophy will she settle upon? I am praying that she return to her Christian roots and be truly converted by the truth of Jesus Christ.