Transcript: Rev. W. Scott Lockard: A Life of Faith and Ministry

Jonathan Edwards, Charles Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, and other men like these preached Hellfire and Brimstone, the uncompromised truth of God. Reverend W. Scott Lockhart was taught to preach the same uncompromising message. So this man stood nearly alone in a world where preachers were preaching love and prosperity. He truly was. 20 years too late. The life and legacy of Reverend W. Scott Lockhart. On Tuesday the 5th, Democrat incumbent Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeats Republican challenger Wendell Willkie to become the United States' first third-term president. Thursday the 7th, in Washington, the middle section of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses in a windstorm a mere four months after the bridge's completion. Monday the 11th, an unexpected blizzard kills 144 in the United States Midwest Wednesday the 13th, the animated feature-length film Fantasia is released Thursday the 14th, in New England, the city of Coventry is heavenly bombed by German bombers Wednesday the 20th, World War II, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia join the Axis powers. Monday the 25th, Woody Woodpecker appears for the first time in a film, Knock Knock. Saturday the 30th, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are married in Greenwich, Connecticut. All these events happened in the month of November 1940. But on Friday, November 1st, in the small railroad community of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Reverend Winfield Scott Lockard Jr. was born to W. Scott Lockard Sr. and Marie Lockard. Scott Lockhart Sr. suffered from rheumatic fever, which left him with a hole in his heart and unable to do hard physical labor. Scott Sr. made ends meet for the family by becoming a watch repairman. Scott Jr. grew up as many young boys in that era, playing baseball, exploring caves, and swimming. and even though the family did not have money to afford it, he would find ways to raise money and on the weekends go enjoy the motion pictures. While his father was loving, he would not stand for his boys not being able to defend themselves. One day when young Scott came home after a fight beaten up, Scott Sr. took the young lad back to the kid and made him fight again. Whip up on him, Scott recalled his father saying, Because I knew dad would whip up on me if I didn't. This was all to prepare Scott for life, which would not give him anything. Young Scott had many brushes with authority in his early life. Including the time when he was caught stealing money from parking meters and taken to the police station. but perhaps the brush with authority that would change his life was when he and his cousin stole money from the Altoona Catholic Church. Scott recalls the meeting with Father Denny. Father Denny was a big man and he smoked a big cigar and you just felt dwarfed in his presence. But after a lecture to us, he let us go, but only if we promise never to do it again. Scott had many close brushes with death as a youngster as well including nearly drowning in a lake and nearly being electrocuted by a live wire in a ham radio he and his cousin were working on despite all these things Scott's childhood was still a happy one but his childhood would not last long when he had just turned 12 his beloved father in the middle of the night suffered a heart attack he was instructed to stay with his dying father as his mother searched the neighborhood for someone to call the doctor for her husband the doctor was delivering a baby so by the time he got there Scott Sr. had tragically died Scott Jr. would have to grow up fast and become the man of the house looking after his mother and his little brother Paul After the funeral, Marie's family begged her to put her two boys in military school. She flatly refused to do so, saying she would raise her boys on her own. Marie struggled to make ends meet in renting a small apartment as her boys finished their education. Marie was true to her word. She raised her boys to become strong, independent men. When Scott finished high school, he couldn't find work, so he was going to go into the military, but his mother didn't want him to, so he respected her wishes and enrolled in Penn State University to become a history teacher. Scott spent a short time in the amateur boxing arena He had a few matches He won three and in his final bout His opponent broke his nose He recalled many times I knew my future was not in the boxing ring Around this time his mother began to show early signs of Parkinson disease Thus he dropped out of college and took jobs in a bakery and a shoe factory while trying to take care of his mother It was at this time a friend from his days of playing sandlot baseball invited Scott to go to church to hear his father speak. Reluctantly, Scott agreed, but little did he know that that choice would change his destiny forever. Scott, who was raised in Sunday school in a Baptist church, never witnessed a service like took place in that little holiness church. While he didn't accept God that night, he knew that he had to go back and get what that little preacher had spoke about. And the next Wednesday night, Scott went to the altar and accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. His life was now on a different path. He would accept the call to preach. Under the tutelage of Reverend Charles Wright, the little preacher from the Holiness Church, Scott started his studies to become an evangelistic preacher. In his first message, Scott recalled, I preached from John 3.16 for five minutes and repeated myself four times. Reverend Charles Wright told him, if you listen to me and you trust in God, you'll be a great preacher. And it wasn't long until Scott finished his studies and began preaching revivals around Pennsylvania area while working full-time and while his mother's Parkinson's disease was steadily getting worse. During his young adult life, Scott became interested in chess and fastly became one of the best chess players in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and eventually won the Junior Chess Championship of Altoona, Pennsylvania. During one of his meetings at a church in Pickass, Pennsylvania Scott met the Luke family The patriarch of the family, Robert Luke Took an instant liking to the young minister And affectionately called him Sonny But little did Scott know that he would soon become linked with the Luke family When he would marry Robert and Alberta's daughter, Betty Robert Lute and Marie Locker didn't agree to the marriage. Both felt their respective offspring should stay with their parents and take care of them. But love took its course. Scott asked Betty to get married on April 1st, but she was a little too smart. She said, no way we're getting to the courthouse and you say April fools. So the two were married on April 2nd, 1971. and thus the love affair began that would last for 40 years. Della Marie Lockhart's Parkinson's disease had finally gotten the best of her. After years of courageous fighting and making sure her sons were grown, Della Marie passed away. Scott and Betty would have a daughter, Renee, and a son, Jason. with a wife and a family to provide for and not wanting his children to grow up without a father as he had done. Scott's plans to be an evangelist would have to be put on hold. But how could he preach the word and still give his children the father they desperately needed? He would become a pastor. Over the next decade, the ministry would take the young couple past their roots of Pennsylvania. all over the eastern United States, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky. Scott and Betty would learn to rely solely on God as their pastoral ministry proved not to be the most lucrative of one. The family had to make do with what they could afford, much as Scott and Betty did as children growing up. While preaching in his church in Doran, Virginia, he became district secretary, and he and his family would work many district youth camps with their unique puppet ministry. During his tenure as pastor in Doran Wesleyan Church Scott began feeling discomfort in his chest But continued to preach the morning and evening service And when pains didn't stop Betty insisted he go to the doctor They found that he had 100% heart artery blockage He was immediately flown to Kingsport, Tennessee For a balloon procedure While it was not a complete success It did open the artery 60%, allowing Scott to go back to do what he loved. As a kid, Scott listened at the great adventures of some of his favorite radio programs, such as Gunsmoke. Around Dodge City, in the territory on west, are just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke. And on August the 7th, 1998, Reverend W. Scott Lockard's Bright Side Radio took the air for the first time in Reedsville, North Carolina, WCLW, 1130 a.m. Yes, I'm living on the bright side. This is Living on the Bright Side with Pastor W. Scott Lockard. Here is Pastor Lockard. I'm speaking from John's Gospel, the first book of John, chapter 3 and verse 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it do him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. A very interesting passage suggests to us the love of God. In this day and age when so much is said about love we see little evidence of the real kind of love that God has for us First of all God love was a sacrificial love The Bible teaches us that he came in the person of Christ to die on a cross, that we might have life and have it more abundantly. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Those interesting words suggest the giving nature of God. He loves us so much that he gave his son. He loves us so much that he made a sacrifice that was supreme, that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Now for the first time, Reverend Lockard was reaching the masses, just as his favorite radio programs were. Only he was sharing the uncompromising message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the masses on a weekly basis. He would soon expand his radio ministry to twice a week and include another station, WPET, 930 AM, Greensboro, North Carolina. With technology expanding and the new advent of Internet, Reverend Lockard took the advantage of the new media and began streaming his radio broadcast on his official website, living on the bright side, allowing the entire world to hear his unique message. Then in 2008, Reverend W. Scott Lockhart took his message to a whole new level when he launched Bright Side TV, a monthly internet TV program. Look at John chapter 10 and verse 7. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door. You want access, if you want a means of entrance, He is the door. If you want to get on the internet, you've got to have a PIN number. You've got to have a code number to get on the internet. If you want to have access to your bank account, you've got to have a PIN number. If you want to enter into the right relationship with God, you've got to come to Jesus. He is the means of access. I am the door. No other way to get in. While in Mebane, North Carolina, pastoring Mebane Wesleyan Church, Pastor Lockhart suffered a near-death experience. He began to vomit blood and passed out. Betty quickly called 911. And when the EMTs came to work on him, They were overheard saying, we can't find a pulse. It was at this time Scott recalled feeling the spirit slipping away from his body. Thankfully, they were able to revive him. When he was admitted to the hospital, they found he had a bleeding ulcer and was told to take it easy. But Scott's desire to preach was too much, and he went back to the pulpit within a week. it was shortly after this Scott felt the tugging of the spirit to go to uncharted territory a place he had never been before Kentucky at the age of 59 Scott found himself moving to Louisville, Kentucky to take over Wellman Memorial Westland Church it was here he had his longest tenure of seven blessed years as he says but these years would not come without heartache during his time the heart trouble that he had suffered many years prior would show up again this time resulting in a triple bypass but not wanting to slow down within three weeks he was back preaching hotter than ever you want a brand new beginning you want a fresh start he said I'm the resurrection he stood at the tomb of Lazarus and Lazarus had been dead four days an impossible situation Both Mary and Martha concurred. They said by this time he's stinted. By this time he's in a state of decay. By this time he would be offensive. Jesus didn't let a stone bother him. Didn't let decay bother him. And didn't let corruption bother him. He said show me where you laid him. And they showed him where he was at. And he said take away the stone. Take away the stone. Is there a stone in your way this morning that's keeping you from being at your best for God? Take away the stone. And he was so convincing, they took away the stone, and he said, Lazarus, come forth. And I love it. He that was dead. He that was dead. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? He claimed life for Lazarus, and Lazarus came before, and when he saw him, he said, Loose him and let him go. Several years later, Pastor Scott began feeling fatigued, and during a medical scope, the doctors found cirrhosis of the liver. Though he never took a drink in his life, they found it was caused by years of diabetes. It was at this time, at the leading of his doctors, he finally retired from the pastoral ministry. So on September of 2008, Scott Lockard said his goodbyes and made his way into retirement. It's a memorable morning, and we're just kind of all joined to be part of your life and part of the fellowship. We have been examining down through the many months that have come and gone messages that I hope have been not only appropriate, but were understandable because that has been our intention. While retired from the pastoral ministry, Scott still found time to take meetings and preach the uncompromising truth. And he began a new stage in his ministry in writing devotionals and novels. He also began acting in some Lighthouse Pictures films directed by Jason Lockhart, his son. Most notably, Omega, in which he played President of the United States, Joseph Knight. Well good evening my fellow Americans This is President Joseph Knight We indeed been brought to a uncrossable path We at the point of no return We been fighting terrorism since 9 Many wars and battles have been fought in the interim period But in this year of 2000 we have seen the terrorists take the war to the point of no return They made an epic move My fellow Americans, the terrorists have launched a nuclear attack not only involving the United States, but all of the entire world. We've had no choice but to counter a launch. We're now facing doomsday, the true end of the world. I tell you, use the next precious minutes to hug your loved ones, to tell them that you love them, for they have no time to prepare. The end, may any of any have prophesied, is now upon us. God bless America, and God bless every one of us. and the holiday drama entitled Home for the Holidays in which he plays John Steele, the father of singer-songwriter Jake Steele. I heard you were killed in the movie like something. Oh, that was a publicity stunt, yeah, by the record company. We'll see if we got the new CD coming out in a couple weeks And so what they thought would be cool was Jake's presumed dead And then Jake shows up out of the clear blue And Jake's alive and everything And that would help sell records Yeah, yeah, that's it That's sick Well, welcome to the music industry By the way, is that mom's homemade Christmas cookies, that smell? Let me get some of them. Hey, Jake, Jake, do you need a good breakfast? They're located, amen. Aren't you glad that he knows that Curry Street in Durand Bottom, that that's where one of his churches is located, amen. He's never turned his back on it. He's never ignored it. He's never denied it access. He's going to build a kingdom through the local church. In mid-2010, Scott was admitted to the hospital with kidney failure. He would have to go on dialysis. One of the workers admitted later that she didn't think he would be back for his first treatment, but Scott was a fighter, and he was on dialysis for several months. Tragically, Pastor Lockhart fell in his home after a dialysis treatment in the end of December 2010. He struck his head. He laid in the hospital where, sadly, little was done for him, And at 5.05 p.m. on January 10, 2011, Scott went home to be with Jesus. What will Pastor W. Scott Lockard's legacy be? He never once talked down another form of Christianity. If they were preaching the gospel, it sounds like he's been for them. It sounds like that he... And he'll take care of it. And I've tried so hard to live by that. He teaches the Bible to where you can understand it, and it's more on our level. And I have to say this for me. He is a man of God. He's got that powerful spirit because when he has prayed for me and touched me, I can feel it. His ability to unite the church and hold us together during trying times, his ability to hold his temper when I know he was ready to explode. A great Bible teacher, a fiery preacher, a prayer warrior, a loving husband and father, a great friend, a man who loved God. from overcoming childhood tragedy to evangelism to pastoring medical problems to radio preacher and internet TV and author and actor Reverend W. Scott Lockhart has done it all in an era where preachers are preaching the good life Scott stood among the few preaching the uncompromised truth thus solidifying the fact that Reverend W. Scott Lockhart was indeed 20 years too late. Joe was demanded with troubles at all. Satan struck him with sore balls Covered him from his head to his feet Most would have given up in defeat He lost everything that he did on You know he felt he was alone Why don't you give up? His wife cried He said no, cause I'm living on the bright side I'm living on the bright side Living this close to God Living on God's side Yes, I'm living on the bright side Joseph sold into slavery Sold to Egypt by his family His master threw him into jail But he knew that he would prevail He became second highest overall So among Egypt he was walking tall Well you meant evil to me And you lied But God meant it for good So I'm living on the bright side I'm living on the bright side Living this close to God Living on God's side Yes, I'm living on the bright side