The Blind Receive Sight

Stephanie Stocks

December 1, 2018

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Healing, Pastor Scott, Prayers, Uncategorized

The following testimony was submitted by Donna Martindale

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. Luke 18:42 (KJV)

My sight was declining.

Last year, I visited my regular optometrist because my vision was no longer correctable with a new prescription. I was referred to an ophthalmologist for some detailed exams. My left eye was diagnosed with a disease called macular pucker.

Macular Pucker is a condition where scar tissue forms on the macula, located in the retina, causing blurred and distorted vision.

The only cure is a delicate surgery which is not always successful, and the post op is very grueling. The ophthalmologist referred me to a retina specialist. After a week, I wrote a letter to my doctor telling her that I appreciated her expert advice, however, I would not be seeing a specialist at this time.

I was going to make it a matter of prayer, and believe that the Lord would heal me, and that I would see her in a year for another check-up.

Last week I went in to see her again, trusting that the Great Physician had done a good work. As the doctor checked the new images taken of my retina, she turned and looked at me and said, “Donna, a healing has definitely taken place!” I was so excited, I cried out. “Oh, praise you Jesus!” and she replied, “And I am praising Him right along with you!”

I am so very grateful, humbled, and excited because of the goodness and faithfulness of our God! I want to shout it from the house top with my hands lifted up, “Thank you Father, thank you Jesus, thank you Holy Spirit!” Lamentations 3:25&26 says, The Lord is good to those who wait for Him; to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. To God be all the glory for the things he has done! I love you Lord!

ABOUT CALVARY TEMPLE

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

Drug Addiction, Depression and Suicide

Stephanie Stocks

June 4, 2018

Calvary temple, Deliverance, Healing, Prayers, Salvation

“Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ…having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12

The following is a testimony of deliverance and hope after multiple attempts to commit suicide

I first heard about Jesus in Sunday School at 5 years old.

The teacher stood at a felt board with a cross and a heart. She shared the simple story of how God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. If we asked him into our heart, he would come in and he would save us and forgive us, and we could be in heaven with him when we died. I remember feeling like I was different from the other children. I felt like I was dirty, and they all seemed so wholesome. It became real to me that morning that Jesus loved me. That was the first of many times I would ask Jesus to come into my heart and save me.

I was not a happy care free child, always sad and anxious. I spent many sleepless nights crying and full of anxiety, praying to the Jesus I’d heard about at my grandparents’ church. Please keep my mom safe, and send me to live with her one day. And I would ask him to come into my heart and save me over and over.

By the time I was nineteen I would have tried to commit suicide three times.

As a teenager, I started drinking and smoking pot very heavily. There was not a day that went by that I didn’t get high. I got high when I woke up, I got high on the way to school. I would walk out of school during the day to get high, I got high after school, and I got high into the evening. My friends started calling me Cannabis. Most of them partied on the weekend just for fun, but I got high to survive the sadness and anger over my childhood. Getting high was an escape from all the bad feelings inside of me.

My life was going downhill and becoming more reckless.

I was constantly in trouble at school, being called to the Vice Principal’s office several times a week. Punished with detention for not doing assignments, for being late, for disrupting class and for being a clown. Getting suspended for being a loud mouth and disrespecting authority. I said and did whatever I wanted. If my teachers crossed me, I would verbally assault them in front of the class. I absolutely hated authority and I loved creating conflict with them. I knew I wasn’t going to suffer any consequences or discipline at home. It was empowering. No one could control me, and I could do whatever I wanted. I thought I had nothing to lose, but I was failing school, I was caught smoking and kicked out of cheer leading, and I was deeply unhappy.

The only time I knew any of peace or walked in any kind of sanity was when I would go to visit my Aunt and Uncle who were Christians.

From the time I was 12 until I was 16, I would stay with them for 2 weeks every summer. There would be no smoking, drinking or getting high. I would go to church, read my Bible, read my devotional, and loved to listen to Christian music. There was such a peace during those weeks. I didn’t have inner peace, but I was surrounded by the peace that radiated from their home and their lives. I purposed that when I got home, I was going to be good. No drugs, alcohol, or partying. I was not going to have relations with my boyfriend, I was going to go to church and do my devotions every day. But every single time, within hours of getting home, I was back to my old lifestyle, and worse than I was before, powerless to do what I knew was right.

The first time I tried to commit suicide I was 14.

I spent a week in Intensive Care. It was there that I had my second encounter with Jesus. A girl from my grandparent’s church had come to see me. She had been praying for me at their request when they became concerned about my lascivious lifestyle. I remember when I opened my eyes and saw her face. She looked so peaceful. With love in her eyes and compassion in her voice, she took my hand and said “Candace, Jesus loves you.” I knew it was Jesus talking to me and reaching out to me through her.

I didn’t receive the Lord then. I continued partying and got involved with an older man. At 15 I became pregnant. He told me it was him or the baby. I didn’t want to abort my baby, I wanted to at least give it up for adoption, but he did not. I was young, and I didn’t want to lose the only person who had ever made me feel loved, he was my whole world. By the time I made the choice to abort my baby, I had convinced myself I was making the best choice for everyone including the baby, so I went through with it. Immediately after the abortion, I felt an incredible emptiness inside. I hated myself even more intensely than before. Anytime regret or grief came up I justified my choice with all the reasons why I did the right thing.

I also began to get high more and more to drown out my guilt and shame. I had dabbled with cocaine, mushrooms and LSD from time to time in the past, but I mostly smoked pot because that was the drug always available in my home town. Living in the city meant more types of drugs were available to me and I could get them in greater volume. My whole life was one big party. During this time my relationship with my mom was at its worst. I had so much anger and bitterness toward her. She started trying to do what was best for me and saying a word I was not used to, “No!” Well, I was not having that. I had gone my whole life doing what I wanted, and I wasn’t about to change. But I was 16 and living the fast life was getting old.

I was deeply depressed, and when my boyfriend broke up with me, I tried to commit suicide by overdosing for the second time.

Again, I ended up in the hospital and it was one of the lowest points of my life. When I was released, I was sent to a juvenile psychiatric ward. I begged my mom to let me come home, but she did what she knew would be best for me. She left me there to be evaluated, and to ensure I wouldn’t be able to harm myself again.

I hated every minute of that place. It was very depressing. I had no way to do drugs or distract myself from my inner turmoil. It was also very disturbing. I shared a room with a girl who would wake up screaming and hallucinating.

I knew that unlike her, my depression was not a mental condition but a heart condition.

After a few weeks I was finally able to go home, but with some stipulations. I had to continue seeing a psychiatrist and stay on antidepressants, and I had to go back to school. I despised all the stipulations, but anything was better that being a prisoner in the psych ward. Emotionally fragile, and afraid of returning to public school, the psychiatrist recommended I attend a small tutoring center for teens who didn’t do well in social situations, or who had “emotional disabilities.”

I worked hard, and eventually applied and received acceptance to the Rochester School of the Arts alternative program. My Junior year of high school began with a new hope. But I still did not give up drugs altogether. Every day, as soon as I finished my homework I would get high. On the weekends I would party hard and try to recover on Sunday to get ready to go back to school on Monday. As time went on, it became harder and harder to not get high and party as much as I use to.

The emptiness in my heart was glaring and consuming.

The antidepressants were making me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking them. My grades started slipping and I couldn’t wait for summer break to be free from the responsibility and discipline I had put myself under to do well at school. I returned to my home town to party with my old friends.

By Christmas, I moved out of my dad’s house and moved in with my friend and her boyfriend. I started using a lot of cocaine and dropped out of the School of the Arts. My friend’s boyfriend kicked me out because I couldn’t keep a job and wasn’t contributing in any way. It was the dead of winter in western New York and I spent a few miserable nights sleeping in my car. My dad had pity, and rented a small apartment for me above a store on Main Street. I didn’t have a job, but in exchange for doing dishes at a friend’s place of employment I would get a meal.

I was beat up by life and felt very alone, hard, and numb. No matter how much alcohol I would drink or pot I would smoke, I couldn’t get the high I was looking for. I was paranoid and anxious; an empty shell at 19. I had no tears, no passion, no vibrancy. I didn’t care about anything. I was without hope.

But this is only the middle of my story. With Jesus, there is always HOPE.

Read Part 2 of Candace’s testimony: From Suicide to Salvation: The Path of Hope

If you are struggling with thoughts about committing suicide, or feel hopeless with nowhere to turn, Jesus is the answer! He loves you more than you can even imagine. Reach out to him today and he will radically change your life and fill you with peace and joy. You are not alone. Read more about God’s love for you and the Hope you can have in Jesus here.

ABOUT CALVARY TEMPLE

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

God Heals Autoimmune Disease Pt.2

Stephanie Stocks

November 22, 2017

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Healing, Pastor Scott, Prayers

Sarah was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. The doctors stressed that there was no cure. But our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to his power that works in us.

Go here to read God Heals Autoimmune Disease PT 1

It was February of 2016. I was in the hospital reeling from the news that i had an autoimmune disease that had no cure. We started the conventional treatment of Prednisone and discharged from the hospital. I had a terrible reaction to the steroids and had to stop taking them immediately. My doctor then wanted me to try some other medications, but I declined.

I believed that the Lord had put in my heart not to take them. I continued to have weekly blood work taken and my liver enzymes began to come down. But I was still in an extremely dangerous health crisis. The GI specialist told me I would need a complete liver transplant in the near future. I transferred to the head physician of the liver transplant center at the University of Virginia.

In April 2016, I had my initial consultation and we began preparations to get on the liver transplant waiting list.

The Transplant Center performed a liver biopsy. It confirmed that I had an active autoimmune disease that was attacking my liver cells. My cells were dying faster than they could regenerate. The head physician of the liver clinic, Dr. Northrop, straightforwardly informed us that my condition was dire. I was in end stage liver failure and needed to start steroids right away. My liver cells were dying faster than they could regenerate.

He told us that if I didn’t start the medication, I would certainly be dead within 2 years.

As Taylor and I talked and prayed about what to do, I still felt very strongly that I shouldn’t take the medication, but continue to look to the Lord. But, I told my husband that I knew God had put him over me as my God-given head and covering. I would start the medication if at any time he felt that I should.

Together we decided to trust the Lord moment by moment, and if God wanted us to change our course He would let us know.

The song, “Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul…Worship His Holy name…Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes…” strengthened my heart during this time. I hung it on my refrigerator and sang it to myself almost every day.

As time went on, I began to research alternative ways to slow the progression of the disease. I became very strict about my diet hoping that would help. Even though I wasn’t taking medication I continued to have regular blood work and follow ups at the UVA Liver Clinic.

Seven months later, in November 2016, Dr. Northrop informed me my liver enzymes were spiking again and it was imperative that I start steroids immediately or I had less than a year before a liver transplant or death.

He also recommended I go to John Hopkins and Georgetown Hospitals to get more opinions. Maybe they could “convince me of the severity of my disease to start medication.” I hung up the phone, and for the first time during the illness, I felt crippled by fear and confusion. I had tried as hard as I could in the natural with a healthy diet, exercise, rest, eliminating my exposure to toxins, but it wasn’t enough. I felt scared, alone, and in the dark.

That evening we met with our Pastor and his wife. We shared the grim report we had just received. They encouraged and prayed with us, but I was still feeling very downcast. Near the end of our conversation, Pastor Scott spoke these simple words to me. “Sarah, just make sure you’re abiding in the vine.” Those words hit my soul like a load of bricks.

At that moment, I realized I just needed to get back into God’s presence. Without even realizing it, I had allowed the cares of this life to crowd out the presence and Spirit of God, and now I found myself feeling lost, alone, and in the dark.

I began to fast and pray. I needed to hear the voice of the Lord again.

On the third day, while my kids were napping and I was painting, the Lord spoke one word to my heart – REPENT. I instantly fell to my knees, broken before the Lord as He began to show me that there was still so much in my life that was displeasing to Him. My pride, my independent spirit, my vanity, how easily I steal God’s glory when I do something “good”, how I say I’m trusting Jesus with my illness, but at the same time I was putting more trust in perfecting a healthy diet and lifestyle than I was in Him for the healing of my body. As I began repenting, the Lord brought true remorse and change over the sins and weights in my life.

In January, Taylor and I began seeking the Lord specifically as to whether I should start the steroids and go to John Hopkins or Georgetown to see more specialists. After a few weeks of seeking the Lord and wisdom from other counselors in our lives, we still hadn’t felt the Lord leading us in a specific direction.

My husband decided that if we didn’t sense a specific direction by the end of that week, then I should start the medication.

A few days later while I was folding laundry and praying in the Holy Spirit, I felt a prodding in my spirit to call my primary care doctor and schedule an appointment to have all my blood work checked again. It was also during this time that I began to experience a worsening of the liver disease symptoms again. Feeling hopeless and discouraged, I decided to step out in my own wisdom and reach out to holistic liver practitioner to start 6 months of holistic therapy and supplements. I was scheduled to start the alternative therapy on the exact day my blood work results came back.

The blood work showed that my autoimmune disease was completely gone, and my liver enzymes were normal.

My kids were in the car with me when I read the results and we began shouting out PRAISES TO GOD! I then called my husband and drove to my Pastor’s house to share the news. I called the liver clinic at UVA and told them about the incredible bloodwork results – the nurse was shocked, speechless. She passed the message on to the doctor and he called me 5 times that day with different questions. The doctor said that, “I had proved him wrong every step of the way. He had never seen someone come back from end stage liver failure to perfect health. Especially with having taken no medications.” However, because he is a man of science; I must still have the disease since it doesn’t just “disappear” and there is no cure. He wanted me to get routine blood work done and come back to see him if I get worse again.

He discharged me from the liver clinic because I definitely did not need a liver transplant anymore.

There was indisputable proof that a supernatural healing had taken place in my body. And it had nothing to do with medication or human ability. “..for I AM the Lord that heals thee.” Exodus 15:26

In the following months, I continued to have routine blood work done as my doctor requested. The liver tests improved even more, confirming that my liver was functioning and healing from all the damage. My increased energy and vitality alone is undeniable proof of the miracle God has done.

If you’ve been blessed reading the testimony of what our Lord has done, check out the other posts on my homepage.

ABOUT CALVARY TEMPLE

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

God Heals Autoimmune Disease Pt. 1

Stephanie Stocks

October 31, 2017

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Healing, Pastor Scott, Prayers

Sarah Kain began having unusual symptoms in the fall of 2015. Her health deteriorated quickly and launched her family down a road of medical tests, discovery and faith. This is the harrowing story of her mystery illness and near death. But God’s hand was always there to heal, and set her free.

The following testimony was submitted by Sarah Kain

Having always been a healthy, strong, energetic young woman, I knew I hadn’t felt like myself in a while. I kept blaming it on the fact that I was now a mom of 2 young kids. This constant state of exhaustion was my new normal. Everything I ate or drank gave me pain, reflux or nausea. My body ached, I had zero energy and I was covered in bruises. I experienced intense itching all over my torso. My abdomen was extremely bloated even though I’d unintentionally lost 10 lbs. I had swelling and pitting in my legs from fluid. My skin and eyes had a yellow hue, and some other disturbing symptoms I’ll spare you the details of.

I told my husband one Sunday as we were leaving church, “I feel like my body is shutting down.” It wasn’t until January 2016, after I’d experienced a miscarriage that I couldn’t seem to recuperate from, that I finally had to see a doctor.

One morning I was feeling very discouraged about the mysterious condition I was in. I began pouring my heart out to the Lord. I opened my Bible and began reading about the life of King Asa. Immediately the words on the pages came alive and spoke to my spirit.

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 Asa in the thirty-ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceedingly great: yet in his disease he sought not LORD, but looked to the physicians.”

It was in this moment that the Lord impressed so clearly upon my heart that I was to seek GOD and not solutions from the doctors for whatever illness was going on in my body.

I shared this with my husband and although we didn’t fully understand all that would entail at the time; I was fully persuaded that this was the direction God had for me. All I knew was if I kept my eyes on the LORD, no matter what was going on in my body, everything was going to be OK regardless of whether or not I was healed.

On February 15, 2016, my primary care doctor told me that something was terribly wrong with my liver and I needed to go to the Emergency Room right away. When we arrived at the ER, they informed us that I was in liver failure and they didn’t know why. I was an otherwise healthy 28-year-old female that had never smoked, drank alcohol, or done drugs.

Normal liver enzymes are between 0 and 55. My liver enzymes at the time were 961. Normal bilirubin levels which causes jaundice are between 0.2 and 1.2. Mine was 10.6. The doctors were very concerned and began running every test checking for hepatitis, liver diseases, genetic diseases, parasites, cancers etc. I was immediately hooked up to heart monitors because when your liver doesn’t function, your blood becomes very toxic and can lead to heart and brain failure as well.

My husband sent a message asking our church family for prayer. Soon after the message went out for prayer many of the terrible symptoms, discomfort, and exhaustion I had experienced for months began to subside.

So much so, that I wanted to go home, but the doctors objected. They kept me in the hospital for a week as they closely monitored me, ran tests, and consulted with many physicians and specialists from other hospitals and liver clinics. During this seemingly turbulent time, my husband and I were in complete peace. I hated being stuck in the hospital, but there was no fear, no crying, no asking why.

I felt like the Lord had me cradled in His hands above the storm.

During my hospital stay, the Lord gave me multiple opportunities to minister to others with severe illnesses, as well as, many of my doctors and nurses. My Pastors, family, and friends visited me daily in the hospital, cared for my husband and babies while I was unable too, and offered up many prayers on our behalf. I am so thankful for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, and likely had battled it longer than we realized.

There appeared to be extensive damage already done to my liver. Autoimmune hepatitis is not contagious. It’s a rare, but serious condition where your immune system attacks healthy liver cells which ultimately leads to cirrhosis and liver failure as I was experiencing. The MRI showed that my liver was extremely swollen and had hardened masses in it, which meant this disease had raged in my body for some time. The specialist explained to us that the only treatment option was to try to slow the progression by suppressing the immune system and reducing inflammation in the liver. There was no cure.

^“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23

Read Part 2 of Sarah’s amazing testimony next time on Calvary Temple Miracles

If you’ve been blessed reading the testimony of what our Lord has done, check out the other posts on my homepage.

ABOUT CALVARY TEMPLE

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

The Blind Receive Sight

Stephanie Stocks

December 19, 2016

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Healing, Pastor Scott, Prayers

“One thing I know, that once I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25

The following testimony was submitted by Jerry Brooks

In December of 2015, I went to my usual 6-month eye doctor appointment. When looking at the eye chart with my left eye, I read the letters with no difficulty. When they covered my left eye to read the chart with my right eye, I thought they had moved the chart and turned out the light. It was all dark! I said “there is nothing there!” She said “you don’t see any letters?” I said “no, nothing at all!” After the doctor examined my eye, they said that I needed to see a specialist.

Jerry Brooks hole in eye

The very next morning, the specialist found a hole in my eye. They didn’t know what could have caused the issue, but I was not worried. I just had peace! I told them that Jesus could heal my eye. Meanwhile, I began praying for myself and others to be healed.

My next appointment with the specialist was in March of 2016. They took a picture to see if there were any changes and the hole was shrinking! I told them that Jesus was healing me!

They scheduled me to come back three months later. Weeks before the appointment, as I was praying, I told the Lord that even if He didn’t heal my eye, I would be faithful to Him only. I prayed, “Lord, please have compassion on the others!” Their healing was way more important than my eye. Then I felt the Lord heal my eye! I couldn’t wait to go to my next appointment to hear the good news! I was so excited!!

On June 29, 2016, I went to my next appointment and they took another picture of my right eye.

“The hole was no longer there! Jesus healed my eye! I could see!”

Mark 5:19 — Jesus said “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” I am so excited to tell others about what the Lord has done for me!!

If you’ve been blessed reading the testimony of what our Lord has done, check out the other posts on my homepage.

About Calvary Temple

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

With God All Things Are Possible

Stephanie Stocks

September 28, 2015

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Healing, Pastor Scott

“For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Romans 8:28

The following testimony was submitted by Shelly Perozich

“There’s been an accident.” Five words a mother never wants to hear.

Our youngest son was at a friend’s house where the parents were going to supervise the teenagers playing with BB guns. In the course of “patiently” waiting for the parents, the BB guns were handled, and one of them went off. My son was accidentally shot in the eye. Our friends rushed him to the emergency room where we thought we would be dealing with, at worst, a scratched cornea.

The local hospital performed a CT Scan which showed the BB still lodged in the eye-ball. He was taken by ambulance to Children’s Hospital. The next thing I knew, my son and my husband were gone with lights and sirens blazing.

When I arrived in the ER, the first doctor was explaining the surgery. “We’ll try our best,” she said, “but, he will probably lose his eye.” The Lord’s grace was very tangible upon us. We told her that we were sure that she was a good doctor, and that she would do everything she could, but that our God was going to allow our son to keep his eye.

My husband had heard from the Lord that morning while fasting and praying. The Lord made Romans 8:28 very real to him. God says that…”all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes.” Talk about the great timing of our Heavenly Father!

We always knew our steps were ordered, but this confirmed in our hearts that Jesus had allowed this in our lives at this time.

It was late at night, and we were waiting for the eye surgeon in pre-op. Our anesthesiologist arrived and we started talking with her. It turned out that she was a Christian! How assuring it was, as a mother, to know that a sister in the Lord was taking care of her baby.

The surgeon arrived with an even more negative report than the one we had received during the first consult, but we kept believing. After what felt like many hours of surgery, although I think it was really only about one, the surgeon approached us with a very perplexed look on his face. He said that he had to draw us a picture of what he saw during the operation because he couldn’t believe it himself.

He said that when the BB went into our son’s eye it tore a half-moon shaped rip in his cornea, and when he went to sew it back up again the two sides matched exactly. When he put in the last stitch, the eye became instantly water tight. He said, “This never happens. The torn pieces never match and hold fluid like that.”

We got to tell him that Jesus is in charge of this and that with Him all things are possible!

Letter from the Anesthesiologist

At this point, there were probably a thousand people praying for our son, and we KNEW that he would keep his eye!

When we arrived in post-op, there was a letter from the Christian anesthesiologist. She wanted to comfort us with the verse, Romans 8:28…”all things work together for good to those that love God, to those called according to His purposes.” Our Jesus is so good to us. This was just the first of many miracles that He has done for us on this journey with our son.

If this testimony has blessed you, check out the other posts on my homepage.

About Calvary Temple

Calvary Temple is an independent church which holds to all Assemblies of God tenets of faith. Calvary Temple ministries include Discipleship Training, adult Bible college, media ministry, and an aggressive missions program.

Pastor Star R. Scott is Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Sterling, Virginia, where he has ministered since 1973. In addition to the pastoral gift, Pastor Scott functions in the five-fold offices of apostle and prophet. He has planted churches, and currently oversees the pastors and ministries of numerous satellite churches.

Visit Calvary Temple online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,Flickr,Instagram

Camp Testimony

Stephanie Stocks

August 25, 2015

Calvary temple, Camps, Growing up Calvary, Pastor Scott

I had the opportunity to help coach during both the basketball and soccer camps. I had a great time. I was so excited when I heard that I was able to be a head coach again for the middle age boys during basketball and the youngest age boys during soccer. During the camps we learned all the fundamentals and team strategies of the game, but most importantly we talked about the Bible and the message of salvation. I shared my testimony on how I was saved in the 4th grade while attending Calvary Temple School. My players thought it was so cool that I accepted Jesus as my Savior at such a young age. During basketball camp I had two players on my team give their hearts to the Lord. I shared with the players that they can give their hearts to the Lord with the coaches or if they wanted, could go home and pray if they felt like they wanted to. One of the players stated that he would go home and give his heart to the Lord. He came in the next morning with a beaming smile and I asked him if he accepted the Jesus as his Savior and he said yes, I was so excited. The second player who gave his heart to the Lord said he wanted to wait a bit and do it later. The week came to an end and he still hadn’t given his heart to the Lord but said he would do it over the weekend. Thankfully he attended soccer camp and I had the opportunity to talk to him on the first day, Monday. He said that over the weekend he too accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior!
During the Soccer camp I had about 15 players on my team and about half of them wanted to give their heart to the Lord by the last day. All through the week I and the other coaches coaching with me shared our testimonies, talked about our daily verses, and the basic Gospel message. By Friday about 7 of the players on my team gave their hearts to the Lord! They said that they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and wanted to live for Him. It was a great day and all of heaven rejoiced when they gave their lives over to the Lord Jesus! I was so excited to be used of the Lord in such an exciting way, now the real work comes to pray and intercede that they would make it and continue to live for Him.

Tony Perozich

My living Memorial

Stephanie Stocks

May 30, 2015

Calvary temple

My Living Memorial
A testimony as told by Crishana Loritsch

“I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19 Amplified Bible

I was a 20 year old junior at a Christian liberal arts college with a 3.5 GPA and my whole life ahead of me faced with a daunting decision. After denying the signs for weeks, I stood before my mirror caressing my belly with the realization that I was pregnant. As you can well imagine, a myriad of thoughts flooded my mind and each was more debilitating than the other. What will I do? What will my parents think of me? What will I tell my friends? What if I am expelled from school? As I determined that the best thing to do was terminate this pregnancy and protect my future, these words of Deuteronomy 30 rang in my spirit and the Lord spoke to me clearly, as if in an audible voice, saying, “Your life is not your own. I redeemed you and you have no right to make this decision. I am your life and that of this child and I am your future.” Several months later my son Tyler was born and he is indeed a living, breathing memorial to the goodness of God in my life. This is not an anti abortion post but rather a testimony of what God can do in a life that allows hard life lessons to become an altar of remembrance and worship.

There are many references in the Bible that speak about building memorials as a testimony to the mercy and faithfulness of God. These memorials were meant to be a visible, conspicuous reminder of what God did in the lives of His people. For me, God did a mighty thing as a result of this unplanned pregnancy. First of all, it brought me to my senses and reminded me that nothing escapes the view of Jesus, even those things that are done in secret. They will be revealed and brought to the light. Nothing says you’ve been intimate with someone outside of marriage like a pregnancy and the circumstances of my sin were some of the most difficult I’ve experienced in my life. Loss of reputation, loss of my academic pursuits and the societal stigma of being a “single Mom” were some of the little deaths I experienced. But as a result of my repentance God took this life event that for many was viewed as destroying my life and gave me life in Him that I could’ve never imagined, above anything that I could have ever asked or thought.

I am so thankful for God’s grace and love expressed to me and my son through the body at Calvary Temple Church. It truly takes a village to raise a child and I am forever grateful for this body of believers who stood with me to raise up my son in the nurture and admonition of Jesus. My son grew up with many godly examples, men and women dedicated to living to bring glory and honor to the Lord. We lacked for nothing, both physically and most importantly spiritually. In many ways I feel like Hannah must have felt when seeing her son serve in the house of the Lord. She prayed for her son, the Lord blessed her and all she wanted to do was give him back to the Lord as an offering. Her son grew to be Samuel, a great man of God and it all began with such humble beginnings, with a Mom seeing her son a living, breathing memorial to the goodness and faithfulness of her God.

Today I am blessed beyond measure with a godly husband, two wonderful children, our son, my living memorial and our daughter and a bonus daughter, as our son is now all grown up and married. Now my prayer is that my children each have their very own memorials to testify, “How great is our God!”

Will you answer the call?

Stephanie Stocks

April 10, 2015

Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott

I will never forget the day I gave my life to the Lord. I was visiting Calvary Temple church with a co-worker. I was in my 20’s and she had shared the gospel with me for many years. I knew she was right but was not ready to surrender all. I decided to go to service with her and my life has never been the same. They had an altar call for anyone who had a need. I knew with all my heart I needed to go up there. So I nervously walked up knowing no one. One of the deacons came and asked me to pray. I replied “I don’t know how to pray” so he prayed for me to be born again. I could hear people praying for me. Then just like that it was like blinders had just fallen from my eyes. I was a new creature in Christ. I was blind and now I could see. That moment is what I have clung on to in times when my family thought I was crazy, times of sickness, depression and doubt. I know Jesus is real with all my heart and no man can ever take that from me. All of this happened behind the walls of Calvary Temple. That’s also when these people became my people. When Jesus calls you will you Answer? #iamcalvarytemple

Stephanie Stocks

Raised from Birth

Stephanie Stocks

March 31, 2015

Calvary temple

It all started in the Spring, March of ’82,
Riding on my Daddy’s shoulders about the age of 2,
He brought me to this church called Calvary Temple,
He gave his life to Jesus, but it was nothing simple;

Moving forward to the years that I spent here,
Don’t be surprised if the ink smears from my tears,
The godly seed that was sown in between my ears,
Fell down in my heart, produced godly fear;

The men of God who were placed by God above,
Led me to the Words of Life which is God’s love,
And all the teachers that dug deep to find water,
Produced a well that began as a little toddler;

So many churches may teach you The Word of God,
Yet not require you to do the very Word of God,
Our godly leaders stood firm on the old paths,
Went back to the basics, it sure wasn’t a crowd pleaser;

Those decisions struck hard like a buzzer beater,
It sent away the crowds hot like a burning fever,
There was a turning point at Calvary Temple, my church,
And this is how The Lord purifies His Church;

In the house of God, I grew up as a young man,
My flesh got stronger, I had my own plans,
I took my life back, gripped it in my own hands,
Then God drew a thick line deep in the sand;

I had the choice to follow Jesus or my own rules,
A hard decision because I thought that I was so cool,
This fellowship trained me up, held me accountable,
Pointed me to Jesus and away from being a proud fool;

Once a youth and now a man at age 34,
It’s very clear what all the saints had been praying for,
With my living soul in the balance, yes, they waged war,
Against the evil powers present in this dark world;

When Satan threw me curve balls and really wild pitches,
They went to bat for me and slugged it over the back fences,
They helped me up and pulled me out of some ugly ditches,
Taught me how to live by faith and seek first God’s riches;

Taught me to bless my enemies when they curse me to my face,
Give them bread and a cup of water as an extension of my faith,
To pray for those who hate me and wait for me to fall,
For even when Jesus was crucified, He prayed for them all;

To practice holiness, godliness, and to remain pure,
Learn to forgive and to repent at my hearts core,
To trust in the Lord and not in my own perception,
God’s Word is final, there are no exceptions;

I thank God for my true friends, my counselors, and my parents,
They were the vehicles God used to receive God’s inheritance,
God places us as He wills, in his Kingdom on earth,
But this is just my testimony of how God raised me from birth.

Jerry Brooks