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Char
Scott
May 18, 1950 -
August 22, 2006
"...To be absent from the body is to be home with the Lord."
II
Corinthians 5:8
Our sweet precious Char went home to be with Jesus. She is now in the
presence of the Lord enjoying His pleasures forevermore. We
already miss her terribly. We are so blessed to have her writings
and will continue to share them from this site. Please keep her
Marc and their family and their church in your prayers. Thank you
so much.
Char
and her husband, Marc, pastors of First Love Christian
Fellowship in Lansing, Michigan fought a valiant battle together.
They never wavered in their faith. It is counted unto them as
righteousness because they believe!
March 17,
2007 ... Char's husband Marc just wrote a beautiful testimony
of grace describing the Lord's tenderness and faithfulness since Char
went "home." It was so touching, I asked if we could share it with
you on Char's page. His permission was given, so here it is:
March 16, 2007
"The Sting Is
Removed"
This is my (Marc Scott) brief
testimony of how the Lord has led me the last 6 months since He
chose to take my beloved Char to live with Him. My family and
friends have wondered, naturally, how I have been doing and a few
days ago I wrote a letter to our kids which said what I am about to
write.
During the night of the day Char died
(Aug 22, 2006) I was crying out to the Lord, “Why?” fully aware that
He seldom answers that question when we ask Him. To my surprise He
immediately said, “She was ripe with love and irresistible to Me. I
just had to pick her!” He knew that I was thinking it was very bad
timing. After a few moments of thinking about it, I said, “Okay”,
and the reality that she had indeed finished her course (2 Tim.
4:7-8) began to set in. God was very happy about what He had done.
Cancer had not taken her prematurely but was simply used by Him to
finish the development of love in her heart. He asked me if I would
(by faith) accept it and this empowered me to share at her funeral.
For a year Char had been getting
sicker and sicker and neither of us had heard a word of faith that
God would heal her. But it was inconceivable to us that He wouldn’t
heal her, too. There was no way we both thought that someone else
could do what she could do in several situations in and outside our
family. Long before He took her I wondered (in disbelief and
anguish) at how I could possibly fill her shoes if she passed on.
She and I both hoped until the last day that God would step in and
heal her. After the funeral it was sometimes overwhelming to me for
brief periods. After crying out to the Lord a few times His peace
came to me to simply take each moment and each day at a time and
trust Him.
About a month later I noticed a phrase
in my mind that just seemed to be stuck there: “Moses is dead”. I
realized that He was speaking to me that “Char is dead” and I
decided to look in The last chapter of Deuteronomy when Moses died
for a clue about what He wanted to tell me. I realized that He gave
the Israelites 30 days to mourn intensely for Moses and then He told
Joshua (their new leader – Joshua 1:2) to arise, cross the Jordan
River and enter the promised land. I could imagine how important a
person Moses was to all of them and how “lost” they felt after
having spent the last 40 years with him and him doing so much for
them. Jesus was telling me that Char was dead and safely with Him
and that all my crying about it wouldn’t bring her back. If I wanted
to finish my course as well as she had finished hers I must now
intently focus on Him (eyes on Me now) and take His hand (Isaiah
42:6b – trust Him to lead me). I said, “Okay" and immediately
received Grace from Him to believe what He was telling me and to
walk in this perspective. This grace then seemed to be extended to
the whole family.
This experience was amazing to me for
several reasons:
1) that He would show me what He knew
was an adequate time (30 days) for intense grieving for human beings
– not that grieving should end then, but that the intense time
should [perhaps there are exceptions to this, I don’t know].
2) that grace from God was available
to walk free from grief, even with a broken heart.
3) that He would come to me in such a
desperate time to establish boundaries for my thoughts and emotions.
4) that He would treat me with such
tenderness and firmness at the same time. I felt His “Fathering”
nearness in such a wonderful way and began to experience His
eternal perspective on our lives. He is both sovereign and loving
all the time.
A couple of weeks later I began to
notice a change in my heart that I couldn’t describe. In a few days
it came to me that my heart was beginning to realize that it was
single again. I noticed I wasn’t having intense grieving spells
anymore, although often still I would have What I can only describe
as “flashbacks” of her – expecting her to be there at any moment
like I had been in a long dream and suddenly was awake again.
Then He spoke to my heart not to use
the word “alone” but “single” when thinking or talking about my life
– that He is always with me; we’re a team. I am never “alone.” I
felt like He was holding me by the hand and leading me through the
valley (of the shadow Of death) and pointing out to me what I will
call “sinkholes of grief” that had the potential to swallow me up if
I stepped into them.
A week or so after the Christmas
holidays, then, He surprised me one day by saying, "Your walk
through the valley is over.” I said, “Oh yeah, I don’t have to be in
a grieving mode anymore?" After a few moments of thinking about it
I said, “Okay” and again, immediately grace came to walk in the
reality of that word and to expect a season of refreshing to come.
Our family had been in the valley for a year and a half and now, in
the speed of a thought, I felt buoyant again and ready for what was
next.
Later in January He communicated
something again to my heart. It had to do with wishing Char was back
with me/us. He said, “Would you please release Me and her?” I
wasn’t quite sure what He meant by that so He gave me a scenario to
explain. He said, “Suppose you were hosting a party and everyone
there was having a very enjoyable time except one person who was
sad. Wouldn’t your joy be restrained by his sadness?” Whenever I
wished she were back He felt my sadness (His heart is extremely
sensitive – like a seismograph and it
restrained His joy over her being with Him. I agreed to not do it
and immediately I could actually rejoice with their “gain” of each
other while still in the midst of my/our “loss.”
Then He said that “your day is coming”
(to be likewise with Him), although I have no idea whether He means
sooner or later. And I see Him in my mind’s eye waiting for me like
a parent would wait at the end of a slide for their toddler to come
down – arms held out to catch and smiles on faces.
Today, I am content and peaceful with
the way things are. Rereading Rebecca Springer’s vision of heaven
(Within Heaven’s Gates) reminded me that Char is simply enjoying
herself while waiting for us all to join her. I find in my heart a
longing to finish my course well and to be with Jesus (the Great
Lover of my soul) and her forever ASAP. And I seek to live
every day as if it could be my last. However, just as desirable to
me is laboring here in Lansing, Michigan for my dreams and promises
to come to pass with my family and friends.
Jesus’ nearness to me and His dear
fellowship have truly taken the sting out of this death (1
Corinthians. 15:54-55). I live in wonder of Him and His grace.
Bless His sweet and holy name! So be it. I would never have thought
that in 6 months I would be in this place.
Marc
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(Bio continued) Their group of believers is devoted to
developing intimacy with the Lord (hearing the voice of God), the
revelation of the Father’s heart, healing of their own hearts, and freedom
in the Holy Spirit. They hold weekly “soaking” meetings for any believer
to attend. They are also among the forerunners in their city seeking to
establish 24/7/365 prayer, including a House of Prayer and a prayer
watch network. Char had a heart for young people, and the Lord had opened doors for them to speak and pray for students at
Michigan State University.
After meeting the Lord in a personal way in 1972, they became involved
in pastoral ministry until 1987. At that time, Char began to teach
various subjects at a local Christian school. In 2001, Char retired from
teaching those subjects with a desire to teach about what she loves
best, Jesus.
The renewal movement that began in Toronto in 1994 brought wonderful
refreshing into their lives. (John and Betty met them in Toronto in 1999
at a pastor’s conference.) They also began to study Mike Bickle’s
teachings from Kansas City. Char wanted to share some of his teachings
with others and began to develop her own lessons on the
Song of Songs
from Mike’s extensive
teachings, with his blessing and permission.
You will also enjoy Char's teachings entitled
"God's Truth About Women"
In March 2003, Char was diagnosed with breast cancer. She received a
life-changing revelation from the Lord that carried her through a full
year of treatment with much grace resulting in no nausea, minimal hair
loss, and only slight fatigue that did not limit her activities or
ministry. She was cancer free and very thankful for her health and
life. She continued to be very involved in the lives of her four grown
children and three grandchildren. Suddenly, the cancer returned and once
more we believed for a miracle, but this time Jesus chose to call her
home.
Char’s greatest desire was to call forth many to become lovers of God,
walking in the revelation of His great love for them and sharing this
love freely with others. We believe her testimony and her writings
will continue to do just that even though she herself is now in the most
wonder full, glorious place of all!
If you would like to send a note of encouragement or testimony re:
Char's meditations or Marc's testimony of grace, please feel free to
write to Marc c/o
newlifeworshipministries@comcast.net
I am sure he would love
to hear from you. We will be sure to forward your letters. God
bless you all as you stand in faith.
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