[I'm] jealous of everybody that's on vacation, so I think I'll take a little rest tonight myself, praise God! [Pastor is teaching seated in a director's chair.] Oh, yeah! Hallelujah, feels good! You know, the song that we were just singing--I think probably, if not in the all-time favorite, but one of the--just the continual awareness of our desperation for God, amen? The need of it--isn't it interesting how easily we fall out of that? You know, as I was listening to the utterance that went forth tonight, the great truth of the--that Tom was sharing in the utterance of those events in the lives of those people, something that should really stick out in our hearts: God is always the pursuer, amen? The Scripture says we didn't seek Him, He sought us; and it's still that way right now. We haven't arrived. We're in need every day of God pursuing us, embracing us, illuminating us, because we are a needy people; amen?
And then the hunger for that daily bread, thinking about the song and the daily bread, His Word--if we would just find this and eat it, it becomes the joy and the rejoicing of our hearts, the Scripture says. Isn't it interesting how we--so many times, we get into the rote reading of the Word of God. How many of you are still on reading your Bible through annually, the--are we even providing that any more, or are we just keeping the other one going? How many of you are on that and are on your--what would we be now, third trip through? The fourth one? And what a great opportunity to have a vehicle like that which gives us something to follow...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 2
October 26, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! Amen! I'm trying to find the balance between letting everybody get back in town and not getting too far along in our teaching. I want to continue along because I believe the Lord's been speaking to us. I've heard some good testimonies from the teachings on healing. We've been getting some testimonies of the power of God in individual's lives and bodies; people laying hands on others. It's exciting; you get what you're believing for. Amen? For many years now the Holy Spirit has been dealing with us in many ways, building character in our lives, establishing patience and humility. Is anybody in here glad that we don't need any more teachings on patience and humility? We've already arrived there; praise God, so we've got that covered. As we look, we really see that this is all part of the preparation of the bride. Jesus is coming back soon! Amen?
Somebody was telling me today that they had just received some information that the Vatican had sent out word to many leaders across the world, for some type of a summit, to call the leaders together so that they could redistribute the wealth of the world. That's probably a good idea for everyone except Americans, but it's not biblical. Amen? Not much that Rome does is. Of course, for years we've heard the teaching concerning Rome that the Pope was going to be the antichrist; but I don't believe that's what the Scripture teaches. I believe the Pope will be a major player in the founding of the whore, the great apostate religious system. It's just another one of those things that's happening. As we're looking around at what's going on in the Middle East today--we see the emergence, to a degree, of Rome, where they are just thumbing their noses at America. They're becoming preeminent now, on the verge of collapse economically. A central leader over there would probably be a good idea. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen?...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 3
October 30, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Let's turn to the book of Acts, Chapter 1. I was going through some of my notes, and I remembered that, years ago, one of the criticisms against the Full Gospel churches was that all they did was teach on signs and wonders and speaking in tongues. It's interesting that, over the years, and perhaps regretfully, we haven't spent a lot of time teaching about the Holy Spirit or the manifestations of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Spirit (explained in 1 Corinthians) to fulfill the mandate Jesus gave when He said, "Go out and preach the Gospel [or the Good News] of the kingdom: heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10: 5-8, Mark 16:15-18); amen? We have spent a lot of time in recent years on building Christian character in our lives-and the Lord knows we need it (amen?)--and we have been talking a lot about faith and a lot about patience. We have been talking a lot about humility; and now that we are all perfect, and don't need teaching on humility anymore, we can go on to study a few other topics. But, as we go back and look at this that is so foundational to the church, it is tragic that there would be any division within visible Christendom at all, and yet it's a great dividing line.
You have many, many, Fundamentalist believers who are really opposed to the teaching of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit of God. Yet the book of Acts is full of it; Paul, in his epistles, speaks not only of his life flowing in these gifts, but speaks of their regulation--how they are to function within the body of Christ. I have been a Spiritfilled believer for 44 years since I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, and I will be the first one to say--and I have seen the carnality all over the world as well as in America--that there are abuses. But the fact that there have been abuses does not mean it's not the Word of God. The fact that there are abuses shows very clearly Satan's plan and his tactics to diminish the true flow of the Holy Spirit in the church. So we want to talk about the person of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church through His gifts to empower the church to bring this Gospel message with power. Jesus said, "I will go with you and I will confirm the words that you speak with signs following" (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:20). Amen? We are not seeing enough of that today. As we take this time, we are just saying, "Father, come and show Yourself in our midst; we are hungry for that visitation."...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 4
October 30, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
As we've been sharing some on healing, the doctrine on divine healing, and getting now into the baptism in the Holy Spirit, you know, we see how so much of this works together. The power of God's Spirit in healing--we've touched on some segments of divine guidance in this. As we're getting ready to go in and look at the gifts of the Spirit, we begin to see how vital and how functional and practical the Holy Spirit is in our daily lives, and it's not just a doctrine.
We all know the Holy Spirit is a person. He's part of the Trinity, and not all people who profess to be Christians believe that. So there's so much teaching on the Holy Spirit, and it's important that we realize what His real ministry is to us today. We know the Scripture makes clear His involvement in creation. We know the necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was filled with the Spirit. Amen? John said, "On whom you see the Spirit of God descending and abiding [What?]" (John 1:33). How was it that He came upon the Lord? Without measure. This one that the Spirit descends and abides on in completion, He's the one that is the anointed; He's the one that's been sent from God.
Now, remember, up until that time the Holy Spirit moved in the Old Covenant, but He would come upon people for a certain task, and then He would leave them, and with their natural resources they would be out ministering for the Lord. You see the Spirit spoke specifically in the life of the judges. It said the Spirit came upon them and enabled them to judge the people. We see it in Samson as the Holy Spirit came upon him, and he was able to do these feats of strength. It was by the power of God. Samson didn't have a membership at Gold's Gym. You know, he was not an Arnold Schwarzenegger. He could have been like any one of us that received that supernatural strength by the Holy Spirit. We need that, don't we? Moses experienced that anointing. His strength abated not; his eyes didn't dim, and that was by the Spirit of God that indwelt him. So all of these things, again, that are very practical, of the Holy Spirit...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 5
November 2, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! The Lord is good. Amen? Let’s turn to Mathew’s gospel for just a second. There are a couple of passages that we’re going to look at before we get back into the study. But just as a reminder to us as we’ve been studying, we have a great responsibility to represent the kingdom of God as ambassadors of Christ. Amen? What an awesome responsibility He’s given us! We hear the words of the Lord and we stand, sometimes almost dumb, before it, but when the Lord makes statements like, “If they’ve seen you, they’ve seen Me.” Whenever I hear that, when you read that, it’s just like, “O Lord, without You we can do nothing.” Amen? We see in the Scriptures those statements that are so powerful, revealing God’s will and what our responsibilities are. He’s told us to go into all the world and make disciples. He said in Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they…” And the great demonstration of the power of God. The Lord spoke and said, “These things shall you do, and greater things than these, because I go to the Father.” Again, we stand dumbfounded before the Word of God, but all we can do is believe it. Amen? I mean faith! You have to believe that, and, yet, in our natural minds we say, “Lord, it’s just us. Lord, this is me you’re talking to.”
I know, as I was seeking Father this morning, and I heard my heart’s cry as I was just praying about this hour that we’re in, asking Father to visit us and show Himself mighty, and for the great things He has entrusted to His church to be evident here in our midst. Then I heard myself say, “But, Father, I don’t know if You can trust me—but You know.” Amen? You know. If you want some place to show Yourself mighty, if you want some place to be glorified, we’re available. All we can do is just say, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 6
November 9, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Let's take a little bit of time tonight. I want to go back. I was not going to go into this much effort, but I think I will, because a number of questions have come to me. I am going to go ahead and make sure that we don't have gaps related to the doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. As we know, we said that is one of the major aspects of our foundations of faith. As we have talked about, there are four major categories. There is salvation, the redemption of man through the blood of Jesus and the great atoning work that was done for us. We are bought with a price. He became sin with our sin, so we might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen? We rejoice in that and truly understand that it is by grace that we are saved through faith; it's not of works, lest any man should boast. We talked a little bit about the other aspect of our foundations of faith: the doctrine of divine healing. We spent a good amount of time on that, knowing that by His stripes we are a healed people. Isaiah, Chapter 53 shows us that it's in the atonement. As believers, we are to see signs following us. As we go out in His name, the Scripture says we will pray for the sick, and they shall recover, praise God! We believe that, and we are allowing ourselves to spend some time in the Word. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). As we continue to bathe our spirit in these promises, the manifestation of God's presence will be experienced. We will see the signs and the wonders that confirm the resurrection of Jesus. That is what we are believing.
The other two aspects we are going to be getting into shortly are the eschatological and the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a subsequent work to regeneration. When a man is born again, he becomes a Christian, and the Spirit of God comes and abides within him. Amen? He said, "I'll give you a new heart. My Spirit will take up residence within you." We know and believe that the Spirit of God indwells every true born-again individual, but there is a subsequent work. There's an enduing with power from on high, the Scripture says. It was spoken of by the prophet Joel. In the last days, His Spirit will come. Our young men will move, and there will be visions. We understand that there are going to be dreams and prophecies that follow the anointing of God...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 7
November 13, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! Amen! This morning we are going to continue along the lines of life in the spirit and the need, in this hour, to be filled with the Spirit of God. We're coming into an hour where iniquity is going to abound; we need that grace of God to abound with a greater degree in us than we've ever known. One of the manifestations of that grace is in the promise of the Father, as we've been looking, of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. As I've been meditating, it's an interesting thing how we as human beings respond to the presence of God, the life in the spirit or in the supernatural. We're creatures that are so bound to the natural; aren't we? To touch, taste, all of the other senses. Many of us even feel that if we could have some kind of a special visitation of God--I know I've felt that way, "Lord, if I could just have one of those experiences that we've seen in Scriptures, that we hear others have had manifested in their lives." The visitation of God where Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up and His glory filled the temple. Moses being able to glimpse the glory of the Lord as he saw His hinder parts going by, and many of those touches.
As I was meditating on that, I started thinking about the disciples and how cool it would have been to have walked with the Lord in His earthly ministry. How many of you would have liked to have just hung out with the Lord on a daily basis? Would you? Doesn't that sound cool? It wasn't that exciting all the time. As most of us would think, there was a lot of mundane just walking and traveling; but He would teach them in the way. Just to be with the Lord; do you think that maybe your faith would be greater or your expectation would be greater, maybe your desire to be used or to come to a greater knowledge of God. Do you believe this would be enhanced by walking with Him? You saw Him touch the blind man and witnessed that miracle. How about the cleansing of the leper? How about walking on water; would that be cool? How many of you would have loved to see that? I would have; I am very enthralled with the miraculous. I like seeing miracles! I've seen a number over the years. It strikes awe in you at the awesomeness of God, but none of that changes us and none of that empowers us...
Desperate for that Voice, Part 8
November 16, 2011 • Pastor Star R. Scott
Hallelujah! Glory to God! Turn to 1 Corinthians 14, and let's see if we can get settled in, here. Hopefully, on Sunday morning we will start our little segment on eschatology. It will be just a little survey, as we encourage ourselves in the Blessed Hope--the soon coming of the Lord (amen?); because, "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). If you want a lengthy study, grab Dwight Pentecost's book, Things to Come; after a year, when you get through it, you will have a very good understanding of the subject of eschatology. It is probably one of the most complete books that have been done. But if you want to cheat, get an old copy of Hal Lindsay's book, The Late Great Planet Earth; as he sat through Dwight Pentecost's courses on eschatology, he condensed into about 150 pages and made it contemporary, at least for the seventies. But it's interesting to see the heart's expectation of the seventies: as time continues, everything that was seen on the horizon that caused this great excitement in eschatology back then has cycled and is back to a greater degree. It's exciting to see how God, in His infinite wisdom, allows these things cycle through history: there were many times when things were in place, but God is merciful; amen? We don't know the day or the hour, but we do know for certain that He is coming back for His church (praise God!), and He is going to appear to those who are looking for Him, and He is going to appear to those who love His appearing, praise God! So, we want to stir ourselves up to where our expectation, every day, is to hear that trumpet, and live lives motivated by that to where we have a compassion for the lost. I mean, how many of us would be a little more diligent in crying out to those who are on the precipice of eternal damnation if we knew that there were only 24 hours left? These souls are going to an eternal damnation. How many of our priorities would change? These things that are so important to us today--our jobs, our home remodeling, our recreation, and the new whatever it is that is on the horizon--in light of eternity, it's all vanity. I just hope that comes through in the teaching. We are not as interested in your being able to pinpoint who the Antichrist is. I will share with you, however, that, as you look at the newspaper, as you see the world turning against Israel, in one statement the king of the North, the king of the East, and the king of the South, all said that, if Israel moves against Iran, they will destroy it. That's big talk for a guy with a hook in his jaw, because God is the One who is orchestrating all of this. The Bible says He is going to put a hook in the king of the North's jaw and just draw him down there to destroy him. It will take Israel seven years to count the destruction, the weapons, and the slain. You don't mess with God's weaponry. As you begin to read Ezekiel 38 and 39, and then through those passages, it's an exciting thing, praise God!...
