Friday, February 5, 2010

The Opening of Doors

I know I have gotten slack since I have first started blogging but I just want to bring everyone up to date on what's been going on the past week. Last weekend we had a wonderful time at church it was my first Sunday at the Raritan Valley Baptist Church...It was a small crowd but the spirit felt soooo real within the walls of that sanctuary. Senior Pastor Michael was gone out of town on vacation so Brother Brad brought the message. He preached a message entitled "Battle Ready Vision" out of 1 Samuel 17 (David and Goliath)
1. David Focused on "The Cause" which is................God!!!! The Battle is God's and its in his interest that we have victory over the battles we face!
2. David recognized the where the power come from!....which was the almighty power of God!
3. David recognized proven weaponry...
Weapons we have as Christians!
a. God's word (Jeremiah 23:29, Hebrews 4:12)
b. Prayer
c. Church (Matthew 16:13-18)
4. David moved in confidence( 1 Samuel 17:45)
With all that said he knew he had some thing great than himself standing behind him and through the power of God David a stone from a brook and put it in his sling and gave it a toss. The stone struck Goliath in the head and he fell to the ground...DEAD! Then David took the Giant's sword and cut his head off!
WOW what a victory because David completely trusted in the Lord b/c he knew the battle wasn't his!

Sunday afternoon Brad and I went to the Trust In God Baptist Church which is the Chinese church they have an English speaking service and a Chinese speaking service. Brad spoke there as well.
1st Door opened!!!!!!!!!!!!....the first time I was ever there they asked me if I'd be willing to speak there sometime soon! I was so amazed that God had opened a ministry opportunity for me that quick! WOW God is soooo good!
The week rolled on and it snowed Tuesday night and it was pretty much gone by Wednesday evening.
2nd Door to be opened....Keep this in mind I haven't even been here a week! I called about a job I found on Craig's List and I have an interview for a X-ray(C-Arm) Tech job on 2/11! Please put that on your prayer list that he will open that door I need some income. Its not full time but maybe it will open up and get my foot in the door.
I tell you friends God is sooooo faithful we just have to put our faith and trust and him and move out of the way. Sometime we limit God working in us b/c we are hindering him or we have SELF(OURSELVES) in the way! We just need to..LET GO and LET GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Before the Weekend Begins

So where to begin? Pastor Brad wakes me up Thursday am and I'm really excited b/c we are going to go into NYC! But I look outside my bedroom window and its snowing! Its was beautiful! Later my mom and aunt came over to the house and we decided to try to make the best of it and go on into the city. We went to Times Square, Battery Park, The Rockefeller Center, and Ground Zero. My aunt first came to NYC when the twin towers were standing and now that they are gone she said your mind can't really place where they used to be. My mother on the other hand has never been to NYC and she loved it! For myself it seems like every time I go is just gets better and better. Then Thursday night Me, Brad, Brooke, and Bailey played Guitar Band on the PS2. I haven't laughed that hard in a long long time! Let's just say Brad REALLY gets into! On Friday I went with my mom and aunt shopping for more things for my room. I got a night stand at TJ Max, a shelf for my closet at Home Depot, and then a desk chair from Staples. We came back and did some more stuff to my room. Then we tried to go to Wendy's to get a bite to eat so I put Wendy's in the GPS and it took us to a Wendy's that wasn't even there...so I put in another one which took us several miles up the road. We were really just adventure driving! After we ate I put Target in the GPS just to go get a few odds and ins. So we took off and ended up going towards Staten Island, NY we came to a toll that was not $0.75, not $1.00, not $3.00, $8.00! Which took us over the Staten Island Bridge. It was kinda scary b/c it was really high and really narrow. My dad would have a heart attack if he would have been with us. However, when we went back across it after leaving Target it didn't seem near as bad. That night me, mom, and my aunt to eat at Houlihan's. I'd never been there before but I we had some fried zucchini which was very tasty! Afterwards we went back to the house and I had to finally say goodbye to my mom and aunt. I hugged my aunt and everything was good with her, and we said our goodbyes and she told me she loved me and I said the same. Then I hugged my mom and she began to cry. She told me how much she loved me and is going to miss me. I love her and my dad sooooooo much without them I don't know where I'd be today! God has truly blessed me with wonderful parents and I would die for them if I had to! I didn't cry then or after they left but its still the weirdest feeling. I still don't think reality has set in! Please say a prayer for me, my family, the Hanks family, and the great work which the God above all is going to do in my life and in the future of our ministry! I love you all and the Lord loves you!
BigJoJo4Christ <><

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

First Night Thoughts

This is the first night in my "NEW" New Jersey home in the town of Edison of Middlesex County. I have already gotten most of everything unpacked. It still hasn't really hit me that this will be my room and home for the future. When we first pulled up we said our greetings to Pastor Brad and Bailey then we started to unload things from my truck and the Tahoe. After that we ordered a wonderful pizza from Vinny's Pizzeria which was very close by. VERY TASTY!!! Then we got ready and went to church at the Raritan Valley Baptist Church. It was a smaller sanctuary but the people there were very nice. The church just seemed to have a very sweet spirit in it. The people there seemed sooooo hungry for God's word and to see their church grow. It seemed very different from SC....I guess living in the bible belt we take church for granted and sometime we get complacent in what we have. Pastor Brad gave our bible study from John 5:16-20 also showing that as we are working the Lord is also working...and great and mighty things can be done if we just yield to his will...I really feel God is going to grow this church and souls will be saved. The bible tells us where there is no vision the people perish. But I feel they have a vision and if we just submit and surrender to God's will then he and he only through his power and Glory will do great and mighty things! AMEN!!!!!!!!!! Sorry! I'm a lol EXCITED to see what's going to take place!!!!!!!!!!After church we came back to the house and I still needed some things for my room so we went to Walmart. Walmarts here are different b/c they are not Super centers like back home. They don't really have a grocery store, but you can buy a few food items. So I bought a bookshelf last night for my room there and came home and put it together... this is my focus while im here. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6 I know God is with me here and I pray that he uses me and draws me closer to him than ever before. God Bless!