Calvary Temple Miracles
December 1, 2018

The Blind Receive Sight

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June 11, 2018

From Suicide to Salvation: The Path of Hope

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June 4, 2018

Drug Addiction, Depression and Suicide

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November 22, 2017

God Heals Autoimmune Disease Pt.2

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October 31, 2017

God Heals Autoimmune Disease Pt. 1

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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!”

Awaiting the Weight of Glory

Stephanie Stocks
April 22, 2015
Healing, Pastor Scott

“Awaiting the Weight of Glory”
by Katie DelSignore

Beep, beep, beep. My alarm goes off, again. How many times had I hit snooze? Not because I’d actually been snoozing, but rather procrastinating that first movement that will bring a flood of pain with it and hang tightly onto me all day.

I’m 26 years old, living an incredibly blessed life with an amazing husband in a beautiful home I don’t deserve. Yet, degenerative disc disease has become my identity in more ways than I’d like to admit. Most people know this as a simple condition associated with aging, but in my case, it’s been plaguing me since I was 15, demobilizing my body more every year. It occupies much of my thought life, makes decisions on my behalf, and lurks in my body with every motion, reminding me that I can’t pick up that basket of laundry or bend to wash my face or sit at the piano for hours like I used to. I’ve taken everyone’s advice for how to get better, yet I’m worse. I just visited a doctor this week who said there are just some patients they can’t help. This is starting to sound like a pretty grand pity party, isn’t it?

But in the midst of all this…I’m thankful for this disease. No, I don’t have some weird obsession with pain. Yes, I would gladly give my right arm to be rid of it. In fact, most days I have to admit I wonder what it would be like to live without pain. But, without pain, I am sure of one thing: I surely would know nothing of God’s beautiful grace and very little of my ugly self-nature. My story of the past 12 years is not the story of a miraculous physical healing, although I expect one day soon it will be. My story is of a much deeper, ongoing miracle that occurs every day.

I’m the first to admit I have endured very little, next to nothing, in comparison with many Christians, perhaps even some of you reading this. I’m no expert on suffering – but God is, and I’m thankful He is my Instructor.

The apostle Paul, who endured extreme physical harm for the sake of the gospel, writes about his hardships in 2 Corinthians:

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

I love this passage because Paul is saying that his suffering is an advertisement for the resurrection life of Jesus at work within him. Because of his perseverance through hardship, people are drawn to the grace and glory of Jesus Christ. Paul is able to use his suffering to further the gospel! I have been praying for this outlook and spirit of faith to see suffering as a tool rather than torture.

This passage also shames me, because I fall so far short of Paul’s testimony. I’ve seen my true ugliness in complaining, questioning, and frustration with God. I’ve seen how quickly I can snap at my husband and blame the pain, and how self-seeking I can be with my time and energy. I’ve seen my lack of endurance and perseverance. I’ve also seen the beauty of God when He reaches out to me time and time again in love, showing that He has not forgotten or forsaken me. Even when I see the most despicable versions of myself, He still sees His child. Paul concludes this chapter by penning what has become one of the most precious exhortations to me in the entire Bible:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

It’s hard for me to fathom that Paul calls his suffering “light” and “momentary,” although it was horrific in seasons and lasted for many years. It is not some mind-over-matter trick that he is preaching here. Paul hurt just like we hurt. It’s unpleasant. But I believe the Lord expects us as Christians to possess a firm understanding of the eternal “weight of glory” we are going to receive because of the hard things He places upon us. In comparison to the eternal, spiritual character the Lord is working in me, this is nothing! In comparison to the wonderful and complete healing that will be in Heaven, it will be like disease never existed!

I wish I had already arrived. I wish I could say I have learned all my lessons and have mastered this “pain” thing. But I haven’t. And I know the Lord uses adversity as a schoolmaster, for ease and comfort are poor teachers. As Samuel Rutherford said, “When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord’s choicest wines.” So friend, whatever your affliction may be today, do not lose heart. Look for the Lord’s choicest wines in the midst of your pain, and know that eternity is coming soon.

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

Healing Testimony

Stephanie Stocks
March 10, 2015
Healing, Pastor Scott

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.—Psalm 78:4

I certainly was not expecting to hear the words, “You have a brain tumor and it has to come out!” The years of visits to various doctors had proven unsuccessful in finding a cause for my incapacitating pain. The diagnosis of a benign meningioma came not only as an unexpected blow, but was a tiny relief to know I was not imagining  the horrific pain, as one doctor had hinted.

Excruciating headaches had taken a severe toll on my ability to care for my family and to do something that I felt the Lord had gifted me—teaching young people. My full-time teaching position at Calvary Temple had to be curtailed, which seemed only to compound the physical pain I was trying to work through day after day. My own children were still in elementary and junior high school at the time, and trying to keep up with their needs and schedules kept me on my knees, earnestly seeking the Lord for relief.

Numerous saints joined the battle, as our local fellowship Calvary Temple, family and friends came alongside to comfort and seek God on my behalf. Too disoriented often times to pray, I thank my God upon every remembrance of how they carried me when too weak to fight the good fight of faith.

Several neurosurgeons had told me the tumor was too extensive to completely remove, but would need to be debulked through a series of at least four surgeries to relieve the pressure it was putting on the brain. This ordeal would include surgery, then healing for several months, only to be followed by further surgeries, barring no major complications.

Though I had been raised in church and believed the doctrine of divine healing, my faith was sorely tested as I second guessed whether I truly wanted to see God glorified in my body, or if my motivation for healing arose from fear of surgery. Of one thing, I was sure: My faith rose to a new level after reading the biography of Smith Wigglesworth, an apostle of faith who lived during the late nineteenth century in England. His extraordinary legacy caused me to question why I didn’t see many miracles today. Why should my life be different? Throughout the next few days of pondering the reading, I sensed the Lord speak so clearly to my heart: “I am the same yesterday, today and forever. I change not.”

I felt an urgent need to “get out of the boat” and trust the Lord completely for my healing. I immediately threw away all the potent narcotics I had been taking three times a day. For two weeks I was afraid to tell anyone what I had done for fear of being rebuked for “acting in presumptuousness.” However, during those two weeks, I was completely free from the chronic headaches and pain!

Choosing to take God’s word personally by opting not to have surgery was a decision that continues to work within to change my perspective of Who and how great God truly is. His promises are true, His character is trustworthy, and He has given of Himself without measure as an inexhaustible fountain of beauty! He came as light, illuminating the Scripture, and molding me in its laws; He came as a helper, with strength to direct my every step; He came as a beautifier, bringing order out of confusion, loveliness out of chaos.

Fifteen years later, I testify with a heart of overflowing gratitude that I love Him above the powers of language to express, for His ceaseless mercy and compassion for His children!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Becky Newlen

 

 

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

 

Growing up at Calvary Temple

Stephanie Stocks
March 2, 2015
Calvary temple, Pastor Scott

I grew up at Calvary Temple since I was born—29 years ago. Two simple things were always predominant in not only what I was told but also in what I saw in the people around me: love God first, and secondly, love people better than yourself. My parents tell me the first Bible verse I ever memorized was Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” I was 3 years old, and of course couldn’t pronounce adversity so well. I’m sure I had no clue what I was saying. I had no idea how many friends were going to come and go in my life, and how many friends would actually stick with me through the tough days. But I’ve never forgotten that verse.

I’m also positive my parents were grinning ear-to-ear as they listened to me.

They were smiling because before I was born, they had decided that they would teach their kids about how much God loves them, and that it’s actually possible to have a relationship with God just like you do with a friend. In reality, a much better one, because God is perfect and your friends….well, they just aren’t.
And this is the cool part! This wasn’t just my parent’s goal. As a baby, I was “dedicated” in church, Calvary Temple which meant the whole church came together to pray over my life and dedicate themselves to the task of helping my parents teach me the importance of a relationship with God and what that looks like. It was 1986, when my senior pastor wore a three piece suit (I think everyone is glad the current dress code is a lot more relaxed!) and we had church services in a gymnasium.

Growing up at Calvary Temple, I learned more and more about God. I learned how to make your parents and teachers happy by saying all the right things, how to keep rules, and generally be a good kid. But that’s not what my parents wanted. That’s not what all the people who dedicated me wanted. Things hadn’t “clicked” yet. Finally, one day, it did click. And this is what I mean. It wasn’t during a sermon, or a school bible class, or during a heart-to-heart discussion with my parents. I was in my bedroom alone, giving thought to all those sermons, bible classes, and heart-to-heart parent talks, and comparing all those moments to what I’d seen in people’s lives. I couldn’t ignore the fact that even though they weren’t perfect, the authority figures in my life actually did what they taught me. I couldn’t ignore the fact that my parents, teachers, pastors, and some of my older friends who knew God were living a life I knew nothing about. They had a genuine, consistent joy and peace (not that fake-smile happiness you can spot a mile away on a stranger) that was based on something deep, not the circumstances. I wondered how that could be, with so many different people and varying personalities. They had an unwavering commitment to continue to teach me about God’s love that ran deep in their hearts and was fresh, not out of habit.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that they had something I didn’t. They kept telling me over and over again that I needed to decide whether to have a relationship with God on my own (not based on my parents beliefs), and that keeping rules wasn’t the point of life. My youth pastor Jeff had emphasized the phrase “Dig your own wells” which came from the Bible story of the Israelites wandering the wilderness who had to dig new wells to survive, as the wells previous generations had dug would dry up.
It became clear to me that I didn’t have my own relationship with Jesus, and wouldn’t be able to survive God’s judgment if I stood before him. I knew rules couldn’t save me, because I was always falling short (if not outwardly, in motive and thoughts). I decided to ask Jesus to become the most important thing in my life, and that I wanted to live out of love for Him, and not because of rules.

From then on my life changed, and my gratitude kept growing more and more for those people around me who had dedicated themselves to helping me serve God. Even though I had to “dig my own well”, these people were integral in showing me how to do that and cheering me on as I did. Words can’t put a price on the unconditional love I’ve received, and the priceless treasure of countless people who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into making me who I am.

My life mimics the story of Samuel, who was a little boy in the Bible who was dedicated as a baby to serve in God’s house. One day, Samuel heard a voice calling him in the middle of the night, and he thought it was the priest Eli who was training him. When he ran to the priest, Eli responded, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” This happened a few more times, until finally Eli told Samuel, “It is the Lord calling you. When you hear the voice again, just respond ‘Speak, Lord, your servant hears.’” When I finally said “Speak, Lord”, He did and ever since, I’ve had tremendous joy learning how to love and serve Him at the church I was born in.

I am thankful for the tremendous privilege of growing up at Calvary Temple, for the people who trained me and who sacrificed their time and energy to teach me how to love God first, and love people second. Nothing else matters!  Here is my family now all grown up and we all plan on one day continuing to train up our next generation in this way.

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

 

 

Growing up at Calvary Temple

Stephanie Stocks
February 27, 2015
Calvary temple, Calvary temple pastor Scott, Growing up Calvary

 

I am so very thankful to have grown up at Calvary Temple.
I came to Calvary Temple in 1981 with my Dad and 2 sisters. I was just a year old. I don’t remember much from when I was little, but remember the Word of God being taught to me. I remember faithful servants living the Word before me and requiring it of me. I attended Calvary Temple from Kindergarten thru 2nd grade. Being taught  the Word of God every day; I loved it. I don’t remember praying to ask Jesus in my heart (maybe I was too young to remember), but I remember loving Jesus and asking for His Holy Spirit to fill me. I was filled with the Holy Spirit when I was just 7 years old. I was young, but I remember the presence of God was surrounding me. It was an incredible experience.
When I was in 3rd grade I started going to public school. I viewed going there as an adventure. It was a new place and new people. I liked it. I continued in public school until the 6th grade. By that time I can say that I was no longer a Christian. I was a good kid, but definitely not a Christian. During this time, we still went to church at Calvary Temple and I enjoyed going, but I didn’t have the same longing to go that I had when I was younger. Being in public school had definitely vexed me. As a 3rd grader I started out telling everyone about Jesus. But then kids made fun of me, so I stopped. By 6th grade, I was just going through the motions of being a Christian (I did what I was told and I attending church, but didn’t love God anymore).
When I was about to go into 7th grade, my dad gave us the choice of going back to Calvary temple  or staying in public school. I wanted to go back to Calvary temple. I knew that’s where I needed to be. As I sat in Bible class every day and started reading the Word again, I started to hunger for it more. I knew the Word and I knew that I wasn’t right with God. I asked Jesus to come back into my life at the end of 7th grade.
I am so VERY thankful for the faithful men and women of God that consistently poured out their lives for me to make sure I knew the Word and lived it. Lives that have been a comfort to me or a jolt to get me back on the right path. And now, most of the same men and women that poured out their lives for me, are pouring out their lives on a daily basis for my kids.
Now as a grown woman, I am still in awe of the goodness of Father to place me at Calvary Temple.  This is where I met my husband. This is where hands were laid on me in the name of Jesus, I was healed and was able to have children after doctors told me I couldn’t. This is where my 2 daughters were dedicated to the Lord. This is where they are now being raised to love Jesus. This is my heritage. A heritage that I can share with my kids. It’s my prayer that they know Jesus and only Jesus for all their lives; that they too can have this as a heritage.
I am so thankful for what Calvary Temple is: Not just a building where I go to church, but a place I can go and be fed the Word of God. A place I can go and look at the leadership as examples of Jesus because they not only teach the Word, but they live it without compromise. A place that miracles of God happen. A place where the presence of God is. A place of comfort when times get hard. A place that has a family of believers that reprove, rebuke and exhort with the Word of God. A place that I now am able to teach the kids on Sunday Mornings and sow into their lives just as my life was sown in to. A place that I am blessed to have called home for the past 34 years and by the grace of God I can continue to call home.
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” Psalm 122:1
I am blessed and so incredibly thankful! To God be all the glory!!
~Gwen

Growing up at Calvary Temple

Stephanie Stocks
February 17, 2015
Calvary temple, Growing up Calvary, Pastor Scott

I reflect on my heritage A LOT! I have no other word but “thankful” for the life that God has enriched me with. I am blessed beyond anything I deserve!

When I was asked to share about growing up/being reared in the House of the Lord, my first thought was, “Oh my! How in the world do I even put into words what 34 years of knowing and serving Jesus at Calvary Temple has meant to me? It’s impossible!!” But, I will give it my best shot.

I came to Calvary Temple in the summer of 1981 with my Dad and two sisters. The Lord brought us there through my Uncle and Aunt at a very vulnerable time in my Dad’s life. I don’t remember much about those days, but I do remember giving my heart to Jesus in Children’s Church shortly after we started attending when I was 4 years old.

I started preschool at Calvary Temple that fall and continued through the 5th grade. I loved it! I loved going to Sunday School. I loved going to Children’s Church. I loved going to school. I was devastated when we were taken out of school after my 5th grade year and put in public school. We were still attending church at Calvary Temple, for which I was always thankful, but my heart ached to go back to school there! I KNEW what I was missing.

From the 6th grade through 9th grade I attended public school. And even though I hated it, looking back, I can see so many areas where God was at work in my life. Those four years of life, I believe were used by God to show me so much. The Lord used those four years to show me that there is NOTHING in the world that satisfies but Him – not popularity or acceptance; not drinking, drugs or partying; not sex; not having a boyfriend, etc. I saw all these things taking place in the lives of so many and how empty it left them. I began to be labeled as a “goodie-goodie” and a “snob” because I wouldn’t go to parties or have a boyfriend or cuss…you get the picture. There were very few people who accepted me for who I was and what I believed. I lived for the re-charge I would get on Sunday and Wednesday services during those four years!

The summer after my eighth grade year was life-changing for me. It was a Wednesday night service, which back then we had Youth Group on Wednesday nights. This particular Wednesday night we stayed in the service to watch a Fire by Nite video that Pastor Forbe had on his heart to share with everyone. I don’t remember the name of the video or everything that was in it, but the message is what brought conviction to my heart. It talked about why good people go to hell. I recognized that night that my life had become about just being a “good” girl – trying to keep up an image rather than living all out for Jesus – no matter the environment! I had kept myself pure from the world on the outside (only by the grace of God), but my heart was being vexed and I didn’t even realize it. It scared me!! I made a once-for-all decision that night that I was going to live my life all out for Jesus. I re-dedicated my heart to Him that night. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but something new was birthed in my heart.

I spent a whole year after that still in public school. I still longed to be back in school at Calvary Temple, but instead of focusing on why it wasn’t happening, I began to commit it to prayer. In that year, the Lord worked such a thankfulness and appreciation in my heart for Calvary temple. I truly became real to me that the Lord knew the desires of my heart and that I needed to trust Him with those desires.

It was the summer after 9th grade where I remember Pastor Scott saying, and I don’t recall verbatim, but it was on his heart that all the kids that were faithfully coming to services be part of the school as well. My heart leaped!! I expressed my desire to my Dad and that fall I started my 10th grade year back to school at CalvaryTemple. It was a privilege to come back to school and be able to graduate there!

It was at Calvary Temple where the Lord ordered the steps of my husband in November of 1995, who at the time was headed down a devastating path in life. He walked into a Wednesday night service and encountered the presence of God and heard God’s Word taught with such beauty, purpose and clarity that he was never the same. We were married almost 4 years later.

It was at Calvary Temple where the Lord reunited my parents in marriage in 1997 after being divorced for 16 years. I stand in awe at the great work of Jesus that has been done in my Mom’s life and in their marriage.

It was at Calvary Temple where my children were born, dedicated to the Lord and are now being reared by the same people who dedicated their lives to minister and sow into my life. There is no greater joy in my heart to know that they will have the same Godly heritage that I have, should the  tarry and they continue to serve Jesus. To know nothing else but Jesus!!

I have shared all these details (which was REALLY hard to condense!!) to boast on Jesus. I am thankful for Calvary Temple and the family of believers that I have their. It’s my home! In the 34 years that I’ve been attending, so much of the Word of God has been poured into me in and through so many avenues. I’m thankful for Pastor Scott, who truly cares about  the flock that he’s been entrusted with and who continues to stand in obedience to God and His Word! I’m thankful for the other men of God (pastors and deacons) who have answered the call of God on their lives and given themselves in service to the Lord and the Body of Christ. I’m thankful for friends (ones that I’ve had for 34 years and ones that I’ve known a short time) that are faithful to speak the Word of God into my life – whether I need encouragement or a swift kick in the butt! I’m thankful for the Body of believers there who have ALWAYS been there for me – to offer a word of encouragement, prayers, fellowship, etc. It’s humbling to see men and women of God lay down their lives to serve each other on a daily basis. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35. I’m thankful for the Spirit of God that dwells there and is doing great and mighty things in our midst!

Because of all that I’ve been given so freely, I just want to be able, with my life, give back in a small way. Whether it is being able to serve in the Children’s Ministry, which I’ve been involved in since I graduated in 1995 or ministering once a month at a local Women’s Detention Center or volunteering at our annual Cheer and Soccer camps or as of this year, one that I immensely enjoy, volunteering twice a week to assist with the 1st and 2nd grade class at school. Wherever I have the privilege of ministering, my hearts desire is for others to see and come to know Jesus just as I have known Him my whole life.

Growing up in the house of the Lord didn’t mean that life was easy for me. Serving Jesus is a DAILY decision (Luke 9:23). It requires obedience to God and His Word (James 1:22). I haven’t always gotten it right and there have been times where things were so hard, it would have been easier to just give up. Regardless of what I’ve ever been through, God has always, always, always been faithful to see me through, help me make tough choices and by His grace continue to faithfully serve Him – His Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11) and He will finish the work He started in me (Phil. 1:6)!

I could go on and on and on…but I’ll stop here. I pray that everything I wrote makes sense and conveys what’s in my heart that is SO difficult to put into words. 34 years of knowing and faithfully serving Jesus – Lord Jesus, thank You! Help me Lord to never lose sight of all that You’ve done and continue to do in my life as a result of being a part of such an amazing ministry!!

So, so thankful… Erin

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.

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Healing Testimony

Stephanie Stocks
February 10, 2015
Healing, Salvation

My healing testimony starts a year after the birth of our daughter, Grace. I started experiencing moderate back pain, it wasn’t the usual back pain symptoms it was a radiating deep pain that would start as soon as my feet hit the floor and get worse as the day went on. I went to doctors and physical therapists, no one knew what was causing the pain. Nothing they did would make the pain go away, but would give temporary comfort. After about a year with this pain and also not being able to conceive a child again, my gynecologist suggested that I have exploratory surgery to see if I had developed endrometriosis. So in early December of 2002  I had that surgery, Dr.Stokes said he cleaned things up a little but saw nothing that would be causing me so much pain, no sign of endrometriosis. I was then recommended to long term pain management. This was very upsetting for me, I did not want to live on pain medicine to function without pain. All along I had been praying for healing but thinking I needed to know what was causing this pain. I decided I did not need to know what was causing the pain. I was going to believe that God knows and he would heal me. Our Pastor  Star Scott at Calvary temple church had taught on making our God big, and so I was going to do that. I was not going to do it to get healed but just was commited to allowing God to be Great in every area of my life. A few months later we had a very powerful service at Calvary Temple. The presence of God was definitely there and I had been strengthened in my faith over the past months despite the pain I was living with. That night the service from Calvary Temple with Pastor Star Scott teaching ended with people standing praising God. As I left that night I noticed I wasn’t in pain, all night I thought I think I may have been healed. It wasn’t a healing service but God was there. I wasn’t seeking to be healed during that service but God had definitely visited. The next morning I jumped out of bed, and was so excited to not experience any of that deep setting  radiating pain. I usually would feel it first thing in the morning sometimes as soon as getting in the shower. I was so thankful and still wanted to make sure I really was healed. I got Grace dressed and put her in the stroller and walked 2.5 miles to our church Calvary Temple,  I experienced no pain along the way it was gone. I gave praise to Jesus the whole way, when I got there I first saw my husband and told him that I got healed in last nights service, we rejoiced in that together. Then I remember telling others that had been praying for me. To complete the miracle God had done in me, in March of 2003 I found out that I was pregnant. Jesus healed me of the back pain and allowed me to get pregnant. I saw this as such a gift from God, a true blessing. God is always wanting to bless us more abundantly than we can ever imagine. Throughout my pregnancy and to this day 11 years later I have never ever once experienced that radiating back pain ever again. Praise the Lord.

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.