Hallelujah! Amen. It's good to be home and excited about what God's doing in our midst. I believe I have a word from the Lord for us as I've been meditating on the mind of the Spirit in these last weeks and just wanting to hear what God is saying. He's obviously doing a work in our midst. There are things that are taking place in the realm of the spirit that are beyond my comprehension and your comprehension. I find myself in a place where I've been poured out like water and cast down and broken to dust, and I believe I'm at a place where I can hear the voice of the Lord for the day we're coming into. I think it's a work that's being done to prepare us for the hours that are ahead. I look back through the trials that we've been through, the different steps that have been taken in these last months and as I survey where we were--"we" being myself, speaking of myself--and understand that so many things that we can do, we do in our own strength. When you've done something for 35, 40 years, you can do it on autopilot. I believe the Lord needed to speak a fresh word to us, and in the process there was a breaking that had to take place. I believe I've heard from God as I continue to sort out all of the trials, the turmoil, all that's been going on. I believe that I'm hearing a word for us in the day that we're going into, and I don't think we have a lot of days left to be about Father's business. Many of the things He's given us as a people blessed in this nation, the material things--we all know the trial they become--but so many things that we take for granted are treasures that we don't know possess our lives. Thank God for the chastening of the Lord, amen? It's grievous for the moment, but works in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 2
October 20, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
One of the exciting things of the miracle of new birth is how God brings people like us together. We don't have a whole bunch in common; a few of us do, spattered throughout. But He make us one in His lordship and one in purpose for the eternal kingdom of God. It never ceases to amaze me how that transformation can take place, and the focal point of His lordship becomes the real reason for our being. That's the great indicator of regeneration in our lives.
As always, the Lord is doing some quick things in our midst. Tony and Karen will be arriving home on Tuesday. They've pretty much worn themselves out, and we're going to bring them home for about six weeks. So, be prayerful for their travel. Ron and Tera will be arriving about five weeks behind them. They'll have about a ten-day overlap here at home, and they'll be staying probably through the first of the year.
Things are going great in Nairobi; the ministry is continuing to grow. Some of you have been able to see the picture in the foyer of Nimrod and his wife. They're doing a good job over there. Things are going wide open, and the growth is amazing. There's some land, again, that's available. It's proven to be totally clear (which means there are probably only 15 titles to it that are still out!). We're looking at the possibility of buying this land. They say it's an ideal site there in Nairobi. So, be prayerful about that. This is something that's very risky if we don't have the mind of the Spirit; because you can't believe anything that's said, and you can't believe anything that's written. If we don't have the mind of the Lord in this thing, we'll end up putting out a lot of money that we'll eventually lose. So, be prayerful. I've been told that Ron is sure that the land is clear. I'm not yet sure in my spirit, so we're not doing anything. I want you to pray, and let's believe God and see what the Spirit of the Lord says to us in that particular area...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 3
October 20, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Praise God. It's interesting, as the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us and talking about the preparation that He expects in our hearts. It's easy, at a time like this, to say, "Well, man, I've been doing my best, and I seem to be doing well. In fact, I seem to be doing better than I have in a long time." Then this message is coming of our preparation, the things that are expected of us. Listen to what the word of the Lord says, "http://...be ye holy; for [What?] I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).
Are you that holy yet? Then we've got a little ways to go, don't we? The word of the Lord is to a church that's being prepared for His coming, that He might present to Himself, holy, unblamable, and unreprovable in His sight. Isn't it great to be a part of that preparation? The bride being cleansed and being made ready, praise God, and we're part of that--called, chosen from before the foundations of the world.
So the Scripture said to us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your [What?] sanctification..." So we've been looking at that cleansing process that's expected in every one of our lives. If you did your homework this afternoon, then it'll make it a little easier on us, and we won't have to spend a lot of time in going over the specifics. But let's go to Leviticus for just a moment and take a look into the 8th chapter of Leviticus and begin to look at some practical aspects of sanctification and see the order and the process that's taking place.
Now, next session on Wednesday, we're probably going to talk about positional versus practical sanctification. Positional, meaning we are legally sanctified. As born-again individuals, we are sanctified, and we will be glorified. Can you say, "Praise God" for that? It's the ultimate outcome. If you are born again, you are in the process of sanctification, and at whatever time Jesus comes in that process--listen--at whatever time Jesus comes in the process of sanctification in your life, you are guaranteed to be glorified. If you are being sanctified--I don't care where you are in that process--Jesus assures us we will be glorified...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 4
October 23, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
It's good to be in His presence. It's always exciting to see one of the young people used of the Spirit of God. As that utterance came forth, very obvious it was out of the heart and that God's moving in lives. It's an exciting thing to see. That's what we've been praying about, believing God for. Just continue to be prayerful; we're going to see it continue to manifest in our lives. Well, good news from Africa, praise God! Tony and Karen are back. Can you say, "Praise God!" for that? Amen. If you haven't seen them yet--you guys stand up, let them see how good you're http://looking...at least Karen is. It's good to have you all home, praise God! Amen. We won't let him say anything. I won't have time to preach if we do, so... A lot of exciting things that are taking place and looking forward to hearing the testimony. It's going to bless you to hear what your prayers have done and your faithfulness and their labor as they've gone out from us. It's exciting to see what Father's doing in our midst and the manifestation of it there in Africa.
Let's turn back to Leviticus eight, where we were on Sunday, and continue along with the study that we're in. We saw in Leviticus eight the sanctification of the priesthood and the garments, all of the artifacts and the tools of worship. The thing that we noted in Leviticus chapter eight, was that before there could be a consecration of the priesthood--and we are a generation of kings and priests; it applies to us. It's all typology. We know that, first of all, as you study the Scriptures and everything that is within the tabernacle, every aspect--It doesn't matter what it is, whether it's the brass rings, the curtains, the shewbread, the table that it sits on--it makes no difference, it all is symbolic, emblematic of one thing: That's the person and the ministry of redemption that Jesus affected on our behalf. When you study and you look at all those things, that's what it's all about. Now, within all of that, we begin to pull out different aspects of it. You can pull out, as I said, the brazen altar. You can pull out the laver. You can pull out the priesthood, and it all represents the ministry of Jesus. A lot of it also represents ourselves because Jesus, as the ministry is manifesting itself today through the Body of Christ, He is the head, and every one of us are members in particular. He's placed us, He's gifted us, He's called us, the Scripture says, as it pleases Him...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 5
October 27, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! Amen. Well, continue to pray for the people that are out of town over this week's school being out, and that they'll all return safely. Also, some information from Africa. Last word we got things are going very well. Preparation for the missions trip--we're shooting toward somewhere in the middle of May. So all of you graduating seniors from last year, and all of you who'll be graduating this year, be sure to start making preparations, saving up. I would guess that the trip's going to cost a minimum of $1500, so that'll give you an idea of some of the range that we're looking at so you can begin to take whatever steps are necessary to prepare for that.
A lot of good things that are going on, doors that are opening over there. Tony was telling me just yesterday that there seem to be some great opportunities that are arising. If the doors open for us to go and hold some more seminars, then we'll go along also with the missions group, otherwise it'll be just the missions group going. So we're praying for doors of utterance to be opened. It looks like, at this time, an opportunity to go in and hold some seminars at the largest church in Kenya, and so be prayerful about that. We're looking to go into there and some of these doors that the Lord's opening. Hopefully, to go back to Obonyo's church in Nairobi, a phenomenal church. We shared some of the service with you from when we were there last time. It's not one of the bigger churches I think from African--what is that Tony, six, seven thousand? Something like that, and so by their standards, this is where they are. Now, you have to remember, there's a lot of religion. There are huge quantities of people in these services, but not a lot of the remnant that's really ready for the return of Jesus, because everything that is perverted in America is what's being promoted in Kenya. So if it's some type of gospel perversion here--you know, highlights from TBN--then it'll be what they're eating up over there. So it's an opportunity to go and to bring a word that can touch the remnant's heart and that's what we're praying about. It's miraculous that Father opens the doors for us with the message that we bring into these ministries. It's miraculous! So just continue to pray. It's nothing that we take for granted; it's something that is really the working of the Holy Spirit and not something that we take very lightly...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 6
October 27, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! Amen. Let's turn back to Corinthians, where we left off this morning. We were talking and encouraging each of us to realize that what God's looking for is not ability in our lives but availability; His grace is sufficient to cause any of us to be champions for the kingdom of God. The thing that He calls us to do, of course, is that if we're going to obtain this mastery, then we're going to have to become temperate in everything that pertains to the world or to the natural realm.
As Lisa was praying that we would understand the hour that we're in and the sobriety of each of our tasks, especially those of us who are parents here, the adults. What an awesome responsibility. We've said it before, the sobriety of being able to look at somebody, look at anybody, your children or anybody else, brothers and sisters here in this room, being able to look somebody dead in the eye and say, "If you follow me, you're getting to Heaven. If you do what I do, you're going to get to Heaven and that's all there is to it." That's all we're called to do, to simply be able to go and be epistles that are read of men; to be able to say, "Follow me as I follow Christ." That wasn't just for the Apostle Paul. It wasn't just so that we could read the epistles, understand how the church functions and all of the ecclesiastical aspects of administration and the application of the Word of God. It's normative Christianity. It's what we've been called to do, to be able to say as Jesus spoke, "If you've seen me," Jesus said, "you've seen the Father." Of course, as we become one with Him, as the Scripture admonishes us, we're to be able to say, "Look, if you watch me you're going to really understand what God's about."...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 7
October 30, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Some exciting things are going on in Africa, so we encourage you to continue to pray. We were spending quite a bit of time yesterday discussing some of the land that's available to us. There are about two-and-a-half acres that right now seem to be the prime location in what's really one of the only suburbs of Nairobi. It's an exciting venture. As we were talking yesterday, I was sharing with Tony, though--Ron's coming home in a few weeks, as some of you may know--that we're being prayerful, because we all know Ron. He's over there wheelin' and dealin'. I told them to send word to him today that I'm not interested in a good deal. I want a miracle. Any of us can whip up a good deal. I want it to be God. Don't you? We want it to be God. We're not looking for a good deal; we're looking for a miracle. It takes time and waiting on the presence of God to see His hand. So be prayerful, and let's believe God. This is prime land. Everything about it is good. There's no reason in the natural why we shouldn't do it. It's a lot of money. It's far more money than we were expecting to spend at this particular time, but Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). We're looking to see what He does, so be prayerful. We're excited about that.
Let's go on into our study. Look just a moment back into your notes, as we were preparing our hearts to hear from Father. We've seen in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 3, of course, that the Lord speaks to us and lets us know that holiness isn't something that's extraordinary. It's not something that's for super-saints, extraordinary Christians. Holiness is normative Christianity. First Peter tells us, "Be ye holy, for the Lord is holy." That's a declaration to all of us. Thessalonians says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification [or holiness]."...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 8
November 3, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Let's turn to Isaiah 35, where we were in our last session. That's what this teaching we're doing on sanctification is all about--getting ready to go home. It's not about this planet. It's about preparation for the kingdom that is to come. It's about gathering in the last day harvest. Sanctification isn't to make you feel better about yourself; it's to get a holy church ready for the Bridegroom, praise God. He's worthy of our worship and the cleansing of ourselves so that we could be presented to Him as that chaste, holy virgin--the very inheritance of God. In Isaiah 35, we were talking, of course, as the prophet was making reference to this highway of holiness that we're speaking of. As we left off in the last session, we were talking out of Titus where he was teaching us to live holy in this present world. It's not something that is future. The preparation is present. The productivity is present, as we see in the teaching of the Lord in John 15 and in the preparation of the fruit. It's present. It's the present fruit in your life and my life that brings glory to God.
As Isaiah was speaking in the 35th chapter, let's look down at verse 8. We see that he was speaking about a kingdom that is in preparation and the parallel kingdom of light that is also running in opposition to the principalities and powers of darkness right now. He says in the midst of all of this, verse 8, "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." They won't accidentally show up into this journey or this way of holiness. Verse 9, "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Aren't you looking forward to that?...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 9
November 6, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Did you enjoy the video last Sunday? Wasn't that great? I know a lot of you have been talking about how it touched your hearts. We do have a sign-up list back here for those that are wanting to go to Africa. Not everyone that signs up is going to get to go on the May trip, but there seems to be enough people interested that, if it turns out that way, we may have another group going--say 90 days later. What we're looking for primarily on the first trip are chaperones, people who can oversee our youth, because it is the missions trip for our graduates. We have two of the seniors coming down from the Baltimore church that are going, and then our graduating seniors, and those who graduated last year. So, out of the 30 slots available, I believe 17 are taken up with students already. But put your name on there, and we'll be praying with you and just seeing whether Father has His hand in that. But be prayerful; a lot of things are going on. As we shared, there's the possibility of getting the land over there. It's an outstanding location. It's a lot of money; this land is selling for $80,000 for two-and-a-half acres. It's a suburb of Nairobi (the only suburb, really, of that area) and a phenomenal location; but it's not cheap; it's a lot of money. So we're praying about that. As we said, we're believing God for a miracle, not a good deal. So, however Father wants to do it. You never know how God's going to move. He may move on some of you; He may be moving on me. I don't know; I'm waiting to see.
The day I said we're looking for a miracle (just before service last Wednesday night, I think it was) I got ready to leave the house, and I got a call from some guy in New York. Greer handed me the phone, and she said, "It's some Joe Pesci or something; I don't know--some guy from New York. He talked like he knew you." So I grabbed the phone, and he said, "I want to talk to you about the property you own in North Carolina." And I said, "Yeah?" He said, "I'd like to buy it." I said, "It's not for sale." He said, "I'd like to buy it." I said, "I'll tell you two things: number one, it's not for sale; number two, I don't need any money. Now, we'll start from there. In other words, there will be no negotiation." So I said, "You call me back tomorrow, and I'll give you a price." I already knew what my price was going to be. My price was going to be what it costs to buy that land. We still have not heard a "no," so if he says "yes," then the land's paid for. Can you say "Praise God!" for that? We're excited about that, and we're looking to see what Father might do in our midst. So, be prayerful; you don't know how God's going to do this. It may fall through, and you may get a phone call! How many of you are willing to do it? God is speaking (praise God!) and whatever He says, be ready...
Cleansed to Serve, Part 10
November 10, 2002 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Let's turn to James 4:8 where we left off Wednesday, and the admonition of the apostle to us that if we'd draw nigh unto God, He would draw nigh to us. We've been talking for weeks now about the sanctification process. It's not, as some denominations would try to teach us, a once-for-all type of action where you encounter God and you're sanctified and made sinless. Wouldn't that be great if it were true? But, in fact, the apostle says, "http://...in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..." (Romans 7:18). So we're continually warring against not only the principalities and powers, but the sin that's in our members; but the good news is this. He said, "I've given you everything that pertains to life and godliness in Christ Jesus" (2 Peter 1:3). Can you say, "Praise God" for that? So it's been given to us. The victory has been won. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus has been made our sanctification. "For this is the will of God, [1 Thessalonians 4:3 says] even your sanctification..." We're washed, as we saw on Wednesday, by the water of the Word so that He could present to Himself a chaste virgin without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
It's a process, and we've been talking about that process being one that carries with it a chastisement. We're going to be looking at that in John, chapter 15, this morning. There is no sanctification without purging. Many of us would like to be clean through our resolve. Many of us would like to be holy just through the mechanics of praying more and fasting more and studying more, but that's not what makes a man sanctified. What makes you sanctified are your Gethsemanes. I had to deal with that this morning, as I came to stand before you. Even battling with these last days, it's been rough. To come and stand before you is a tough thing; but as we shared last week, death is not pretty, but it's necessary. Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone (John 12:24). [Pastor is referring to battles surrounding recent loss of his wife.]...
