Psalm 34:4
A couple weeks ago, I had the honor of sharing my testimony through a live internet radio interview with a wonderful woman and newer friend of mine. It went pretty well, even though I was fairly nervous most of the time. The show was live, but can be streamed any time after as well. I will post a link to it at the end of this post for anyone who’s interested in listening.
For this interview, I was approached by the Interviewer, Melissa Bramer of Genesis 50.20 Ministry, to share my testimony. This is just another thing that God has put in my lap to help those that are caught in the bondage of the Watchtower organization, whether they are currently active or not. Melissa is also an ex-Jehovah’s Witness, now Christian who is ministering to the same group of people. You can find our more about her and her ministry here: www.genesis5020ministry.org or under the Resources/Links tab at the top of the page. I have not met Melissa in person yet, only spoke over the phone and online, but she has become a great support, friend and resource in me getting started in to this calling. Another answered prayer! I am really looking forward to this new friendship! I’m praying we will get to meet this next year if everything goes as planned with a possible ex-JW conference coming to California which I will post information on as soon as I find out that it’s actually happening. J If you’d like to give it a listen you can listen here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/healingxoutreach/2017/10/10/live-interview-with-brittany-aloisio-on-hurting-to-healing-wmelissa Have a blessed day!
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September 23, 2017
I have not been able to get on here like I’ve wanted to this month. This month has been a very busy time due to us moving into a new house and getting our old place ready to rent out. We’ve also been without internet for about a week now at our new home and just got that turned on today. Yay! So I also haven’t been able to do much in the way of ministry this month. I am waiting to meet with our church pastor to see about getting a class started at our church for those interested in learning more about Jehovah’s Witnesses and who want to minister to them. I will update with how that meeting goes but it won’t be until at least the 2nd week of October for an update with that. Also this next month, the first week of October, my grandfather whom I’ve never met, will be here in my area visiting family so we might have a chance to meet. I am a bit nervous about meeting him for some reason. A little background on why we’ve never met: He was a JW when my mom was very young, only to become a well out spoken apostate when my mom was an adult and became a very devout JW. I remember the only time I ever saw him was when we’d go to the summer JW District Conventions and he’d be out there with signs and his megaphone, speaking out against the Watchtower. My mom would point him out and say “that’s your grandfather… my dad.. don’t pay any attention to him.” My mom never spoke well of him, and for very good reason. Him being an apostate to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is not the only reason she kept us from him. *WARNING – The following may be a trigger for those who have been victims of abuse… Please do not read any further if you believe it may be difficult…* I will first start by saying, there are those of you who will read this and not understand how I can have anything to do with my grandfather. There will also be some of you who do understand. Those of you who understand the depth of God’s ever loving mercy, grace and forgiveness will understand. Those of you who have walked a dark path before coming to know your wonderful creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, then tasted the sweetest of loves, will understand. My mother and her siblings were sexually abused by their father, this man that did not know his savior Jesus Christ and was living a very bitter life as a Jehovah’s Witness. Who may also have been abused by his father, so it’s what he learned. I say may, because even though he didn’t say specifically, he told me enough that makes me believe that he was. Not that, that is an excuse, because it’s not. However, children usually grow up to be just like their parents. It doesn’t always happen, but sadly, more often than not, it does. I used to despise my grandfather because of knowing what he did, and also, being a Jehovah’s Witness most of my life, I also despised him because he was against it so much. I never wanted anything to do with him and I couldn’t believe it when I found out that my brother met him, went golfing with him, and shared a meal with him. I felt like he betrayed our whole family by doing that, but now that I have come to know Jesus, been born again and understand forgiveness, I understand why my brother did what he did, even though my brother is atheist. It was last year when I first started speaking to my grandfather. Even once a believer, it still took me some time to come to the point where I would speak to him, let alone meet him. He’d tried several times to friend request me on Facebook, only for me to decline it every time. Until one day, I talked to my husband about it and prayed about it a lot. I didn’t want to have any anger, hatred or even hard feelings towards him because I had experienced such great forgiveness for all my transgressions, and knew God’s heart of forgiveness, and how he sees people now, and that as a believer, I should forgive as he has forgiven me (Col. 3:13) Many people may believe that certain sins are unforgivable and worse than others, but God doesn’t see things that way. Sin is sin, no matter what it looks like. The bible tells us there is only 1 unforgivable sin and it is certainly not abuse (Mark 3:28-30) We are also not judge, and there will be justice, but we cannot judge the value of someone’s life. God paid the same price for everyone. It’s up to us to believe and receive that. So I wanted to know if my grandfather had come to believe and receive. I told myself I would wait for his next request, if there ever was one, and if so I’d accept it and leave it at that. The request came and so I accepted and proceeded with caution. I wanted to get a feel for what he’s like. A few months later, my son had a family history project for school and since my mom didn’t know any of the info about my grandfather or his side of the family, I decided to ask him myself. I was planning on just asking him for the family history info and leave it at that. However, I decided to tell him a little about myself, how I’d been raised as a JW, which he knew, and that I’d since become a born again Christian, gave a bit of my testimony and that I was married, successful, etc. I felt it was important that he knew that I was no longer a JW and that I also knew what he’d done to my mother. His response was very humble, admitting his transgression without detail and how he’d come to know his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ since then. After a couple more months, I had gotten more involved in trying to reach other JWs and Ex-JWs, through groups on Facebook, and with my grandfather being an activist in that area, I asked him for his experience and any information he had to share. Since now we had this in common. I was treading lightly with everything. Especially because I didn’t want my mom to find out quite yet, that I was speaking to him. I knew if she found out, she’d flip out. To which she did, when she found out sooner than I’d hoped. Before I could tell her myself, which is what I wanted because I believe it would have went over much better than it did. I feel this has now put a strain on our relationship even more than it was before, since becoming a believer. As that had put a strain on our relationship first. When my grandfather first brought up that he’d be out here in my area visiting family in October and hoped he might be able to meet me and my family, I wasn’t sure about it. I felt like it might be going too far. After talking to my husband about it though, and him assuring me that if anything, we can be a light shining in the darkness, I agreed. So fast forward to now, he will be traveling with my Aunt, his other daughter, to come visit us and for some reason I’m nervous. I hope that I am not obviously nervous the day they are here. I am much more comfortable with it that my Aunt will be with him because I know her much more. That relationship between my mom and her has been a strained one through the years as well, but they are on good terms as far as I know now, since my mom went out to visit her for about a week just this last year. My Aunt and I have a few things in common from our pasts also, but even though we don’t need to talk about it, it’s nice to know we can relate on things. I will write about how it all goes and I pray that we have a fruitful meeting. Thank you and God Bless! September 14, 2017
( We've been so busy moving I haven't been able to get some posts published on here but I've still been writing. This and another post will be post-dated) I really hope to have 1 blog entry per week. I haven’t had that happen yet because things have been very busy around here with school starting for my son, getting ready to move and just went on a week long vacation. I am looking forward to once we are moved and things are settled. For the past 2.5 years I’ve been homeschooling my son and now he’s returned to public school. This was spurred by his desire to try it again and even though I was very hesitant at first, I slowly warmed up to the idea and we made the jump. Now that I have more free time, I am focusing on this ministry that God has provided me with. Right now I am gearing up for the potential to teach a class through our church for those who are interested in learning more about Jehovah’s Witnesses and reaching them. A big part of this will be getting to know our bibles better too since I’ve come to find out that the average Christian, the majority of Christians, do not know their bibles well enough or as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses know their bibles. And I’m not talking about being able to quote word for word verses because frankly, I don’t believe one needs to memorize scripture word for word. What is important is knowing what we believe and why, being able to support it in scripture, as well as, knowing what our bibles say specifically about a topic, and being able to find it. Jehovah’s Witnesses know exactly what their bible says according to their beliefs and the literature they are fed that they are peddling at your door. They come to your door with a plan of attack. They know pretty much exactly what they are going to say and what verses they are going to use to support it, etc. If you don’t know what your bible says about salvation, death, who Jesus is, and have the scriptures to support it, etc… They can very successfully throw you for a loop, getting you to question and doubt what you believe. They will even show you the verses to support what they are telling you, to get you to believe it. That’s why it’s important to know the whole context and what that verse they are using really means or is talking about. Also, that’s why you need to have a plan of attack too, because the average witness that comes to your door, or is standing at one of their carts you see out and about at fairs, businesses, farmer’s markets, etc., will be the one thrown for a loop, if you know what you believe, why you believe it, and what the bible really says about anything they throw at you. And then, you will be a mighty fortress built upon the rock of Christ, unmovable, unshakable, and shining bright for the glory of God. Doing what we are called to do. To bring the truth, the light, the double edge sword, to cut through the lies of the enemy and free the captives. Yes, it is God that does the growing, draws people to him, but we are the vessels through which it flows. We are not called to argue or debate, that is not what I am asking or telling anyone to do. This is gently, lovingly, planting seeds, and watering the garden. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:2-3 I ask you oh, Lord, Father of heaven and Earth, send out workers into your harvest field! There is great need for more workers to bring your truth and light to those who are left in bondage. Not just the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but all people who don’t know you. |
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